Chapter 60, 717 FNM (21 BBY) Month 7
Chapter 60
717 FNM (21 BBY) Month 7
Kamino, Tipoca City
Tanya Kryze
"Why are there so many damn droids?" Khae called out as she opened fire at the incoming horde of droids. One of said droids loses its head when Khae's bolt makes a direct impact on it. It is merely one of the many droids that were eliminated by my retinue and the clone defenders around us. I took the opportunity to lean over the cover we found and fire off a few shots of my deactivator at the oncoming horde.
"Because that's all they are making on hundreds of worlds." Engiz said as he smashed his staff into an approaching B1.
"No, I mean, why are there so many coming this way? What's so important behind us?" Khae asked, which was a good point. So, I looked towards the Kaminoan senator.
"We keep backup samples of Jango Fett's DNA in this building. If this is destroyed, we will have less material with which to produce more clones until we could obtain more. However, this is also the most defensive area of the entire installation. It would require an enormous storm to break through the defenses."
"Or a horde of droids." I said, looking over at the oncoming robots as they marched down the hallway without fear.
"True, but we should be fine. More clones are coming as we speak, most likely bringing the heavier equipment we have stored in for invasions like this."
"But we're cut off from the hangar bay until then." I tapped my communicator with annoyance. "Captain Struc, can you hear me?" All I got in response was static. Great, now the droids were jamming the comms. I turned it off before adding, "Never mind, we are on our own."
"So, our main escape route to safety is overrun. Are there any other options? Any other panic rooms, safe areas nearby, anything at all?" Engiz asked Senator Burtoni as he continued to deflect incoming bolts.
Senator Burtoni crept as low as possible, and looked over at a nearby door. "There's one we could go in." Quickly stepping up, she moved over and clicked a few buttons, opening the door. "This is one of the DNA storage vaults. The door is heavily reinforced and the room itself has multiple automated defenses in place to defend it."
"So it's not a panic room, instead it's most likely one of the enemy objective's. I have a bad feeling about this." I shook my head, about to say that we are likely better off going backwards when a sidewall near us exploded.
The droids that had been marching towards us were thrown out of the way, and for a moment, I thought reinforcements were finally here to save us. I even thought that as the big, lumbering man with a Mandalorian symbol across his chest came into view, carrying a missile launcher and wearing rather heavy gear. But my thoughts quickly turned to confusion as the creature unraveled his arm and smashed the clone that had been hiding behind some cover in front of us, strangling and ripping him apart at the same time with tendrils of muscle.
"Die, you fake Mandas! Die a death all of you deserve!" The intruder jeered ominously.
I holstered my deactivator, swapping it for one of the blaster rifles discarded on the floor. "You know what, maybe going into the vault would be a good idea."
"Right." Senator Burtoni agreed, pressing a button and sealing the three of us out. "Oops~" I barely heard her exclamation of surprise through the door as my rage at this absolute disaster of a day continues to grow. How could she not know how to operate her own panel?
"Well, what do we have here?" The menacing voice from earlier was approaching, causing me to turn and face the creature. "Those dresses seem to have the Iron Hearts on them, a favorite symbol of the Mandalorians. But you ain't the Manda'lor. Hmm, you don't have the armor, either. Oh, Royal Guard. I recognize that helmet design. You're a New Mandalorian, aren't you?"
Engiz stepped between me and the creature. "Mandalore is neutral in this conflict and has no involvement in this war. If you're working for the CIS, you must—"
"Nonsense. I'm a mercenary. I am only beholden to the one who pays me." The creature interrupted, slinking forward with a seemingly growing presence, as if his muscles were doubling in size as he moved. "All I want to do is to kill every Mandalorian who was ever born, created, cloned, or brainwashed. I don't care how you joined that order, you are monsters that must be destroyed."
"Oh Void, it's Durge!" Khae screamed, as she brought her pilfered blaster to bare.
"Ah, so my genocide still precedes me. Always good to know that my name is still spoken with fear amongst you irreparable lot."
"Why don't you do yourself a favor and just shoot yourself in the head?" Khae retorted, bringing her blaster to bear and firing a shot into the barrel of the rocket launcher he was carrying. A rather massive explosion was the result, as an unknown number of rockets exploded inside the magazine. It blew off parts of Durge's arm and a hole into another room.
"You, I like you." Durge said, as his arm and neck were already starting to reform. He grasped onto sheets of metal that used to be a wall and tore it off to form large claws, before moving closer.
Khae, though, came through again. She fired another shot that hit one of his eyes, causing him to flinch back. I doubted the bolt actually penetrated his helmet, but the flash seemed to have at least blinded him, giving us a moment to run. I grabbed what I could and moved towards another open hole in the wall away from Durge. I landed into what appeared to be some sort of manufacturing area, with Engiz and Khae not far behind.
"Run, run as fast as you can, little Mandalorians! You're not escaping me!" Shouted the voice from the hole up in the side of the wall.
As we passed through various assembly lines, I saw various weapons that might be useful, piles of clone armor, and a fallen tripod mount with an intact looking blaster cannon. I pointed at the blaster cannon. "Help me set this up."
We moved the cannon so that it was aimed towards the hole that we came through. I have never been more thankful that Aunt Bo decided to bring a blaster cannon for me to try out during my childhood training trip. While this blaster cannon is a more modern variant to the one Aunt Bo brought, it's from the same manufacturer, so the basic operating procedure is still the same.
"Here you are in the middle of a battlefield, wielding weapons like it's a natural instinct. That tells me all I need to know about these so-called pacifists of this era. You're just hiding your nature behind kind words." The monster taunted us, before jumping down into the manufacturing area in front of us. "There you are, had enough of hiding, you irredeemable creatures!"
"We're not hiding." I turned the tripod-mounted laser cannon to face the monster. "Just looking for something to even the size difference here."
There was a pause as Durge performed a double take; before he recognized what I was aiming at him. He started to move into action, swearing, "Sithspit." as he sent his claw-equipped arm towards me, intending to strike me down before I could pull the trigger.
One cannon blast later, and his arm was severed, twirling over my shoulder and embedding itself into the wall.
"Will you stop blowing my arm off?" Durge called, sounding annoyed and in pain, as he tried to grow a new one.
"Sure, after this." I replied, firing the cannon again. The blast blew off his lower legs, leaving Durge on the ground with only his torso, a right arm and head.
"Is he dead?" Engiz asked from where he had been taking cover, my eye twitched when I noticed he had been covering Khae from any danger.
"I doubt it. Are you dead yet?" I called towards the creature. He was still growing his limbs, though at a slower rate.
Durge laughed his hollow laugh before saying, "Alright, you are definitely Mandalorians. Better than the damn clones, at least. They wouldn't have risked using such a powerful weapon so close to their precious equipment."
"Are you going to keep coming after us, then?" I asked, lining up the shot with the creature's main body.
"Of course, I have all the time in the galaxy to kill your Emerald Lot. My grudge with your people is legendary. I've been hunting your kind for thousands of years, and you think cutting off my legs and arm will stop me? Ha!" The remnants of his left arm grabbed several blaster rifles, bringing all five to face me at the same time.
"Listen, I don't know what your grudge with the Mandalorians is. I get it, a thousand years of history and all that." With a blast, his rifle went flying as that limb was removed after a press from my trigger finger. "But that's a thousand years ago. Most of us just want peace. The only reason I'm here is to make sure that these, as you call them, fake Mandalorians don't come back to Mandalore and revitalize the culture you're apparently at war with to the point that the New Mandalorians become outcompeted." I explained.
"...What are you on about?" Durge said, looking at me confused, his head tilted in thought as he listened.
I continued, "These clones, or at least a percentage of them, are trained in the Old Ways. Where are they going to go once this war is over? A scant few will probably make it back to Mandalore and try to bring back their Old Ways. But if they try to go back to the Old 'conquering systems through genocide and war', that's a problem for all Mandalorians. These clones have no real education, no true knowledge of our ways, peoples, and clans. Their only education is violence, and they have few attachments, which is its own problem. We could be facing the birth of a new Neo-Crusader movement from the remnants of the Clone Army someday in the future. That's why I'm trying to make sure that the New Mandalorian way is seen as acceptable to these clones so that they can retire to civilized society and maybe forget about the Old Ways, the Old Ways you are trying to kill. At least I assume that is what you are doing."
"Haha!" Durge laughed out loud before saying, "So, what you're saying is you're a fifth column within the Mandalorians, trying to guide them towards a peaceful existence? That will never happen."
I smiled before leaning forward and saying, "I prefer to think of myself as a member of the concerned aristocracy. We need to protect our future trade partners, so we can make profits off of them. Credits run the galaxy; conquest is just a waste of time."
"Well, aren't you an audacious aristocrat? Haha, It's never going to work! But you sparked my curiosity! I'll let you live for now. Whether you succeed or fail in your plan, before we meet again and I kill you, is something novel that I look forward to seeing." Durge pulled himself up to his full height. Parts of his muscles moved to find the pieces of armor on his former lower half and ripped them away to cover himself. "Who are you, Mandalorian, that you think you have such powers?" Durge asked.
I kept my finger directly pointing the blaster cannon at his helmeted head, assuming that if I could get the shot off, I might actually be able to harm him. Hopefully. That's assuming that he couldn't move his brain and other organs elsewhere in his body. Actually, it would be safer to assume that he is capable of a lot more than that even. "I'm Tanya Kryze, daughter of Satine Kryze, Duchess of Mandalore and Senator of the Mandalore sector."
Durge looked at me, and for some reason, he seemed to be smiling through his helmet. Then he laughed. "You're quite insane, little Mandalorian. But you have lucked into a position of power that I don't think anyone with your attitude has ever had. I can wait for the civil war that you'll inspire." Durge merely turned away, heading back towards the hole he had created. His left arm extended up to the hole, ready to pull himself up. But before he did, he turned and looked at me. "When you inevitably cause that civil war, feel free to give me a call. I like a good fight, and killing Mandalorians is always a fun time. Something tells me you're going to have to kill a lot of Mandalorians, maybe even a genocide of your own, to get the sector you dream of."
And with that ominous warning, Durge pulled himself up through the gap. Once we were alone, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding and slumped onto the blaster cannon tripod.
Khae and Engiz rushed over.
"Are you okay, Tanya?" Engiz asked, as he went about checking for any injuries.
"I'm fine, just a little bit too much excitement today."
"You could say that again." Khae said, putting her hand on my shoulder reassuringly. "I don't think anyone has ever managed to cause Durge to back down. Why did he?"
I shook my head, saying, "The cannon is the only reason he backed down, as far as I could tell. The fact that he couldn't make an attack without me blowing off a limb was enough for him to consider this a stalemate that was wasting his time."
"Why do you think that?" Engiz said.
"He's hired to complete a mission. He's a mercenary. I doubt his mission was to hunt me, specifically. He's probably heading towards the DNA vault to destroy it, or maybe he's after something else. Who knows what his goal for this operation is, and it doesn't matter because that is not our job."
"Of course, now do we try and go through the route he passed through, or do we find another?" Engiz asked.
I looked at the passageway he went, then took a guess, looking at the wall across from it. I reached out to grab the blaster cannon and fired it at the wall. The wall exploded, and we heard blaster fire from two sides, fighting each other. A clone popped his head over the side, looking down into the room we are in.
"Guys, there are civilians down here!" The clone called back to his squad, and then he looked down towards us. "Do you need help?"
"We could use some way to get out of here, yes. How safe is it up there? We need to get to the hangar bay panic room." I replied.
"Good news, we're part of the detachment under Jedi General Shaak Ti. We are pushing to take back the hangar bay. Do you want to follow us?"
"We would, thank you." I called out before saying, "Well, at least we're going in the right direction now."
Kamino, Tipoca City
Asajj Ventress
So far, this mission seems to be going according to plan. Originally, only Grievous and I were supposed to be allocated to this attack, as my master and I had first discussed. But as time passed, my master had decided on expanding the attack beyond its original scope to prepare to bring his own vision of this war into reality. To accomplish that, prolonging the conflict and seizing every opportunity for victory would give my master the time he needed to enact other plans. Thus, Kamino needed to be assaulted with all the assets he could gather for a truly crippling blow.
So far, those additional assets have performed within expectations. Durge had accomplished his mission of breaking into various clone banks across the facility. The only reason he hadn't managed to destroy all of the clone banks was because Anakin Skywalker showed up and put up enough of a fight to force him back.
The Mandalorians we brought along had just sent a messenger to report that they had finished raiding the juvenile barracks and were on their way back to CIS space. I sensed some lies and deception in what he had said through the Force. When I asked if they completed their objective, he confirmed it and spoke truthfully, and that was all that mattered. I will investigate what happened myself once we were back in CIS territory.
As for Grievous, he remained in orbit, keeping the fleet engaged in battle. He had wanted to come down to the planet and lead the assault himself, but my master had other plans for him. The official reason was that he was not ready for a full unveiling, better to keep his full capabilities secret until a later operation this year.
However, I happened to know the real reason. My master's master had ordered him to stay away from Anakin Skywalker. Why he had done that, I didn't know. I had theories and suspicions about Skywalker's intended fate, but nothing confirmed. Yet, I doubted I would even know if not for my own investigations over the last few years. Whatever reason the Sith Lord had for keeping things hidden, I was sure it was not good. I would eliminate Skywalker when the time came for us to break from my master's master.
Putting that aside, everyone performed their objectives well and we are getting ready to leave. Sev'rance was relegated to my subordinate and does the actual work of coordinating this operation while I lead from the front. Her acolyte had been sent to retrieve the DNA sample and destroy any clones she came across. She had yet to return, but I could feel her Force signature coming closer, so she would likely be back soon. Because communications were being jammed, we had to rely on messengers for any meaningful coordination. Thus, I couldn't contact her for her estimated time of arrival. Once her Acolyte arrives, we can withdraw from Kamino, back to CIS space. The droids will stay to cover our escape, of course.
But those thoughts were interrupted when the droids guarding the main doors into the hangar started to open fire down the hallway, signifying that we are about to receive another counterattack to retake the hangar to prevent our escape. It didn't take long for a Jedi to sprint through the door and start slicing droids as clones streamed into the hangar.
"In the name of the Republic, surrender!" Jedi Master Shaak Ti shouted, before she charged at the front line of droids with grace and fury, though I doubt she meant to have that fury. The clones fired at the droids, who obviously weren't going to surrender.
Looking at Sev'rance, I only lightly taunted her. "Should I take this one? The last time you faced off against a Jedi, you were cut down to size."
The Chiss looked at me with a detached smirk. "I am capable enough to keep her occupied, I am sure a few Mandalorians are within your capabilities to handle."
"Mandalorians?" I asked, as I looked back at the open doorway to see a Mandalorian Royal Guard followed by two women in a mix of dresses and clone armor, their blasters ready.
"Oh my, what do we have here?" I called out. "Has the Republic run out of soldiers already? I know we're attacking Kamino, but I expected more from the Republic." I drew their attention while Sev'rance moved to stall the Jedi Master.
"No," a blonde clad in green replied, "we're still neutral. We're only fighting because people keep attacking us."
"If you're neutral, why are you running around in the middle of a war zone?"
"Because the war zone keeps finding us, and we had to move towards the only panic room that's not being held shut by a self-absorbed coward." The blonde explained, pointing her blaster in a low ready position, that would do her little good.
"That is unfortunate. I have to ask, are you by any chance Tanya Kryze, the senator of Mandalore?"
The two female Mandalorians looked at each other, before the blonde dressed in orange stepped in front of her. "No, I am Tanya." I didn't need the Force to know that she was lying, with how obvious it was.
Ignoring her, I turned back to the real Mandalorian Senator, the blonde in the green dress. "Senator Kryze." I sketched a mock curtsy. "I just happen to have standing orders from Count Dooku. If we ever encounter you during a military operation, we are to escort you to safety. If you would surrender and come with me, you'll be out of this battle and into safety."
She looked back and forth before saying, "And become a hostage of the CIS just as you are preparing to retreat? The Separatists have legitimate grievances, I'll grant you that, but the CIS is nothing but a corrupt series of monopolies. I'll be fine here, thank you very much."
"I'm afraid it isn't safe here anymore. Perhaps you should reconsider." I said, igniting my two lightsabers. I stepped towards her, ready to remove the two obstacles and knock her out.
Suddenly, the ceiling in front of me collapsed, and a new figure arrived, smashing down to the ground in front of Tanya.
"Kenobi~" I greeted the new arrival with amusement. He stood up to his full height, lightsaber active, hand out in front.
"Ventress, I should have known that this was your handiwork. Having to deal with so many droids today. I almost missed hearing your taunts." Kenobi said.
"You flatter me, Obi-Wan. I've taken apart enough clones that they have become predictable and dull. They do not compare to the skill of a Jedi."
"While I do enjoy our fights to some extent. You should surrender. Whatever plans Count Dooku has for the Outer Rim will not end well. The Sith are evil, and being connected to them will only bring you pain and suffering, both of you." He said, glancing at Sev'rance, who was currently busy fighting Shaak Ti.
I had to admit, Sev'rance seemed to have improved her skill with a lightsaber after her near-death experience. Yet, even though the fight itself seemed to require her full attention, she is slowly and surely getting pushed back. She isn't at the level where she can challenge a Jedi Master directly, but that's to be expected.
"Oh, my dear Kenobi, I would love to consider your offer, but maybe you should reconsider joining us. After all, you know what awaits at the Core. Count Dooku is right; what you're defending is nothing but the heart of corruption." I replied with a sly smile.
"By the Void, are you two flirting?" The girl in the green clothes shouted, looking indignant.
Kenobi turned, shocked, looking at her before saying, "Tanya, what are you doing here?"
"Senator work and apparently watching my father flirt with another woman in the middle of a firefight."
"You're his daughter?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, acting as if I had not been informed of this bit of information. "Kenobi~, I'm hurt. You have a daughter and you never told me? I thought we were more than just colleagues, that we had something special." Perhaps I was taking too much joy from this situation, but the look on his face was oh so entertaining.
"Can we discuss this at another time, please?" He pleaded, turning to look at me firmly, pain in his eyes. I could even feel it in the Force even as he held his lightsaber ready to fight me.
"Has your dear father ever told you about the time that he told Commander Loathsom that he 'surrendered' and then had operatives sent to destroy his shield generator and then attack him during the parlay when his underhanded attack succeeded?" I interjected.
The girl blinked, looking stunned at the Jedi. "Isn't false surrender a war crime?" Her confused face was so precious.
"We're not really generals, and that's not really a war crime as far as I'm aware." Kenobi replied.
"The excuse that you're not a general does not mean it is not a war crime. You can't just fake surrender in war because that makes it more likely that the other side will just shoot surrendering soldiers and remove any chances of future parleys. Resulting in more armies fighting to the death because both sides will kill prisoners because they don't trust those that surrendered to keep their word." Tanya argued, expression intense now.
"They already shoot surrendering soldiers." Kenobi weakly pointed out.
"Actually, I can't speak for other commanders, but I only started shooting surrendering soldiers after that trick." I chimed in. I wasn't even lying.
The withering look she gave Obi-Wan was highly satisfying after all of the quips the Jedi shared during our previous encounter. The daughter and father duo were just perfect.
I turned off my lightsabers, doing my best to stifle any laughter that I could, as a white-robed figure jumped in from outside the hangar bay doors. "Ah, Acolyte, I see that you've secured the DNA." The acolyte nodded, her face hidden by the shadowy cloak she wore. But I noticed that she wasn't wearing her mask, and this was the first time I had seen her face. Even with her hood, her face is almost identical to that of the Mandalorian senator yet very pale.
I suppressed my surprise and kept my expression still, but I was very curious as to where my Master found her. No harm in asking discretely once we returned to Raxus. Accepting the DNA she offered to me, I attached it to my belt. Sev'rance noticed that her Acolyte was back, and disengaged with Master Shaak Ti to rejoin us.
"Well, now that we have what we came for, it's time we depart." I announced loudly as a droid transport ship came in quick and low, arriving just outside the landing bay. Inside the cockpit, I could see Durge. "Are you sure you and your daughter would not like to join us? I'm more than happy to take you along and have a good conversation about how you will eventually betray me. I still believe we had something special, Kenobi."
"You really are wrong about that, but it doesn't matter. Surrender, Ventress. Even if you managed to load all of your gang of evildoers onto that ship, the ongoing fleet action will prevent you from escaping. You'll be shot down." Kenobi retorted.
"I must refuse, but thank you for your concern. Maybe we do hold some sort of connection after all." I smirked. As the others quickly loaded onto the transport, I was the last to jump back onto the open doorway, blowing him a kiss goodbye. With that, we fled, securing our victory. The cloning facilities on Kamino were devastated and a good portion of their younger generations were dead. Their DNA samples were now in our possession, which presented an enormous opportunity, diplomatically and scientifically. All in all, this was a proper victory. They may still hold the planet, but it would mean little in the future.
Kamino, Tipoca City
Tanya Kryze
I sighed as I saw the enemy transport ship flying away, and then had a happy smile as the doors to my left slid open and my guards and Vai came rushing out, looking around before they spotted me. "Tanya! Thank Manda you are alright! I'm so glad you're okay." She exclaimed and I was tackled by a person wearing beskar armor, which was painful.
"I'm fine, only emotionally traumatized." I replied.
"Emotionally?" She asked, confused. Before I could explain, the doors to the right slid open, and two Mandalorians leading squads of clones breached into the hangar. They swept along the perimeter of the hangar, looking to bring down any remaining droids that were hiding on one side of the docking bays.
"It looks like we have secured the area. Report that the hangar is under our control and see to the wounded. We'll move on to clearing this section, shortly." Jedi Master Shaak Ti announced to her clone subordinates before she approached, nodding to Kenobi. She turned to me and added, "You must be the young Tanya, I've heard much about you over the last few Jedi Council meetings."
"Hopefully, good things." I said with a practiced smile. With all of the work I did to mend the bridge between Mandalorian and the Jedi, I wasn't all that surprised that the Council would have frequent discussions on my actions. Even if I thought that they would have more pressing matters to spend their time discussing, like planning on how to win the war.
"So far, yes. The Republic thanks you for your assistance. I am aware that as a neutral, you have no obligation to fight alongside us, yet I am delighted to know that when the situation calls for it, you will side with the Republic." Jedi Master Shaak Ti replied.
"If the situation calls for it, I shall side with anyone. This time it was the CIS that was threatening my life. Who knows if the next time it will be the Republic that would threaten my life?" I shrugged.
Jedi Master Shaak Ti walked off to talk to Obi-Wan, and I went with my guards over to the series of boxes, which we quickly arranged into a camp circle of sorts. Sitting between Engiz and Vai, I announced, "Worst work trip ever."
That got a series of laughs, but Vai tapped me on the shoulder and pointed towards a couple of LAATs. "Yeah, but hey, those are kind of fun." She countered.
I looked over there and saw that an image of myself in my green armor, the one I had worn on Geonosis, posing seductively, was plastered on one of the LAATs. "Very funny." I deadpanned. More annoyingly, past the one of me was another one of me, kind of. It was the Silver Mandalorian, except it wasn't my Silver Mandalorian, it wasn't a Vai Silver Mandalorian. It was the HoloNet-edition Silver Mandalorian.
My right eye twitched to see the comparisons quite openly between the two artworks. Shaking my head, I sighed and said, "I wish I had a drink."
"I'll be right back." Khae announced before proceeding to approach the Mandalorian trainers, who arrived sometime after the battle. After speaking with them for a moment, Khae inspected something inside one of their abandoned packs. As I watched, the trainers followed Master Shaak Ti out of the hangar with a majority of the clones in tow, likely to patrol for any remaining battle droids. "Here, I got you something." Khae announced happily, returning carrying a container. She pulled out what appeared to be a thermos and popped the lid, offering it to me.
At this point, I didn't really care what it was, so I reached out and took the thing. I feel its weight sloshing about as I give it a shake. Bringing it up to my nose, I sniffed it and recoiled in interest. I smelled coffee, I smelled spices, and I thought I smelled alcohol too. "What is this?" I asked.
"Ne'tra gal, an old clan drink, we have our own variant on Gargon from the Old Mandalorian families. It's probably been around for millennia. The Mandalorians back there boasted that you're not a real Mandalorian until you've had a taste of this." She explained.
"How much have you already had?" Skota asked suspiciously.
I raised an eyebrow but shrugged, putting it to my lips and tasting it, then drinking it, then gulping it, so I missed Khae's answer. Pulling the thermos away, I let out a sigh as I quite enjoyed the taste in my mouth. It was fairly sticky and sweet like a black milkshake, but was very pleasant for my palate. And yes, there was a strong taste of alcohol in it too. This was great, I loved it.
"Where's Kastel?" I asked, finally noticing that we were one short. I assume that he was sent to the infirmary after sustaining an injury as the reason he is not here with us. I gave Vai the drink for her to try, before she offered it to Tabi.
"He… he's dead. That monster cut his arm off and killed him." Tabi said before he took a sip. "Some sort of Sith acolyte or something."
"Damn. That's… very troubling." I said, in surprise, before shaking my head. Feeling a little bit drunk, resulting in me not dealing with this sort of news as tactfully as I would have liked. I had not lost many of my men in my last life, at least not ones I had known as well as I'd known Kastel.
It's true that he was one of my less talkative guards, but he had been loyal, and I trusted him to some extent when I needed help to keep my alibi when I was at Gargon as White Silver. Losing someone trustworthy is a very serious blow, as trustworthy and skilled subordinates are very rare. Exhausted, I added, "I'll make sure he gets the best funeral care we can provide. Then we're going to find this Sith spawn murderer and deal with him." I felt a bit of anger enter my voice, no one kills my employees and gets away with it.
"I know." Vai said, looking down at her hands, before she leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Also, that killer was Arkanian." I raised an eyebrow, not really sure why that matters, before she added, "And she has your face."
"What?" I hissed back.
She shrugged, and I was just left there confused and worried. I needed that drink to make its way back around. I think I am going to finish it.
Kamino, Tipoca City
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Rain poured down onto the city outside the window I was looking at. It had been a couple of days since the raid, yet the still rising smoke indicated that some areas were still smoldering and undergoing repair. This had been a very damaging assault, but the city had survived and only a few of the production facilities were significantly damaged. Unfortunately, a majority of the Kaminoan's storage of Jango Fett's DNA was destroyed. With only a fraction of cloning material available to be used, the Republic will face an eventual shortage of clones as the Kaminoans couldn't produce any new clones until they receive another sample.
Luckily, that was for the politicians to handle. For now, I'm focused on the realm of my own life. Which, I will admit, was getting more complicated than I imagined.
Shaking my head, I was about to step away from the window when I heard the clack-clack of heels. Turning, I saw Tanya approaching, her hands in front of her. She came to a stop next to me, looking at the same window I was. "Good morning, Master Kenobi."
"Good morning, Senator Kryze." I said with a nod.
She nodded to herself. "You know, I was going to try and avoid having a conversation with you, but my staff is in a rather sour mood after we lost one of our own yesterday. They feel that I should try and speak with you while I have the chance, since you seem to be avoiding me as well."
"I wouldn't say I'm avoiding you; I was just very busy with the war." I said, looking out the window before nodding and meeting her eyes. "Though I will admit I'm not exactly sure how to speak to you now that we know about our connection."
"Yes, the father-daughter thing." Tanya said with a nod of her head. "Not exactly sure how to talk about that myself, except to point out the fact that you are having a flirtatious conversation with another woman."
I sighed and shook my head before saying, "That was merely banter between enemies to unbalance the other."
"Some very long and prolonged banter. Is that how Mother defeated you?" Tanya mused. "Isn't that the first step to losing fights, letting the enemy get in your head?"
"No. I'm also trying to get in her head as well." I said matter-of-factly, looking at her.
"Why?"
I looked back out the window towards the city before replying, "Perhaps I'm looking at the good in people too much, but I always get the sense from Ventress that there's still good in her. She just needs the right push to come to the right side."
"That seems a bit too much of a hope. Even if she is, as you say, got a little bit of good in her, with how many people she's killed for the CIS, she would be thrown in prison and never see the light of day again."
I nodded my head in agreement before saying, "That's likely, yes. But maybe she could escape the CIS and the war. Flee to Wild Space or something, find inner peace helping some world on the fringes of the galaxy in a peaceful life."
"I can't fault anyone having a peaceful life." Tanya said contritely, and then she paused ominously. I thought I sensed... anticipation? "So I shouldn't tell Mother that you flirted with the enemy?"
I let out a sigh, though my eye caught the mischievous smirk on her face. When Satine wore that smile it meant she was joking, usually. With Tanya, I am not sure if she would or wouldn't follow through. "You could... Well, that would just make things more confusing when this war is finally over." I said.
Tanya nodded her head before sighing, "Well, I think we've danced around the subject as much as we can. So, father-daughter bonding thing, how are we going to actually go about it?"
"Yes, to be honest I haven't really given it much thought due to most of my time dedicated to fighting the war." I mused. "Yet, I doubt you really need a father figure at this point in your life, considering you are already an adult."
Tanya huffed before saying, "From what I heard, you're not that bad of a father figure to have. Anakin seemed to turn out alright after all, so if you ever want to impart a little bit of parental wisdom, I'm not going to say no."
"Hmm, I guess that's a good place to start, though I'm not really sure what wisdom I could impart on you."
"Give it a shot. The worst thing you can do is give me wisdom that does not work for me."
I nodded my head, looked out the window before saying, "You lost a man yesterday. That loss is painful, and I know Mandalorians are rather passionate about their opinions on things, but you must remember that he was most likely not targeted by the CIS. Whoever caused it, you should not hold the entire CIS responsible for a single death. There are good people on both sides of this conflict — though it is hard to see sometimes, they are there."
Tanya nodded her head, and she said, "Not bad. The CIS did not order his death, yet his killer seemed rather determined to cause damage without any care to the repercussions it would cause the CIS. I am not going to forgive her for the loss of one of my own but the fact that she has my face is even more worrying." She shook her head before saying, "Good advice nonetheless."
I smiled before saying, "Do we hug now? Not really sure where to go from there." I'll also need to inform the Council that the Sith created a clone of Tanya.
She chuckled before saying, "I don't think we're there yet, but you can put your hand on my shoulder reassuringly if you want."
"That'll do." I said, doing that, as we looked out into the stormy night.
Kamino, Cadet Barracks
99
"There we go, that's this section cleaned up." I mused as I finished mopping up the floor outside the barracks that I had helped defend. I had to move carefully as my leg had not fully healed yet after taking a blaster shot. The boys at Medical told me to rest until my leg healed, but with everyone giving their all to fix up our home, I couldn't do any less.
I'm just grateful I only got a flesh wound, a lot more boys weren't as lucky. I'm sure I would have died if those Mandalorian trainers hadn't led a pincer attack on the droids. While I've been able to finally do my part and be a soldier, I would rather never have that chance if it meant thousands of others died before their time. These barracks may have been defended, but there were many others who weren't as lucky. I heard that multiple cadet barracks were missing their cadets, as in they were cleared out and the cadets are unaccounted for. Who knows what horrors those droids are going to put those cadets through.
But now that the fighting was over, I was back to doing janitorial duties. I spoke with the young recruits who would listen to me, hopefully giving them advice towards the right path. It wasn't worth worrying about the others, or their disparaging remarks about my appearance. I've heard them all before, so it doesn't hurt me anymore. I've done my part, and that is enough for me.
Well, that and being a fly on the wall for various conversations between some of the elite members of Kamino society. Very interesting conversations were going on right now; talks of how they were going to have to take a sample of DNA from Omega. Who that was, I wasn't sure. I would guess it would be some sort of Clone that they kept in for situations like this. Kaminoans did like to keep redundancies hidden out of the way. Seems like this contingency probably paid off if that was true. Other than that, there was also news about how the Republic was going to construct their own clone industry to produce additional soldiers, with a focus on inferior clones with inferior training.
Sighing deeply, I hobbled over to a bench to rest my leg before a chill came over me. I glanced about before something compelled me to glance under the bench; something shiny caught the light. I reached down to pick it up and turned it over in my hands. It looked like a reflective mask with a faint crack along the middle. The light played over its beautiful surface. Inspecting the back, I found that the inside of the mask had been carefully etched with a rich blood-red ink into a stunning series of patterns. The indentations where the mask would hug the chin, nose and forehead were the only indications as to how the mask would remain affixed to a face.
It was an art piece, it had to be. I found myself hunched over the mask, a finger tracing the elegant line work. Something so stunning on the inside of the mask, never to be seen. I felt giddy to get a chance to see something like this. How had it gotten here? No clone would have owned this, and the cloners would make something so...
I turned the mask over again to find I had been mistaken, the silvery surface was unblemished. Perfect and seamless, there had never been a crack... Surely—
"Ah, there it is." A voice called from my right. Turning, I saw a man approaching. He was wearing an ornate armor and an unusual helmet with wings coming off the sides that I didn't recognize, holding a staff in one hand.
"Finally found the blasted thing." He complained, shaking his head before smiling and offering a hand to me. "Need a hand getting up?"
I nodded and took the offered hand, and was pulled up. I held up the mask, "This belongs to you?"
He shook his head sadly in disagreement, but nevertheless reached out. "No, it belonged to an enemy who got away. My liege wanted me to come find it, which is why I'm out here." He waited a moment before inclining his head and frowning.
I blinked and carefully handed him the beautiful mask. "Sorry." I muttered, feeling conflicted. I stuffed my hands into my pockets, lacking anything else for them to do.
The man looked it over, examining it up close, and judging by the eyes, giving it a grimace. "Evidence, she called it. I think it's just a mask. Not even beskar by the look of it."
"Oh, you're Mandalorian." I realized aloud. That got a nod from him. "It isn't really my business," I mused, "I just clean. It's a lovely mask, however."
The Mandalorian tilted his head, "Oh, well, count yourself a little bit lucky, too. Senator Kryze is offering a reward for anyone who finds the mask."
I tilted my head before saying, "A reward? I don't need those sorts of things. My reward is making sure my brothers succeed in battle."
He looked down at my leg. "Looks like you were in a battle too."
I grinned. "That's right!" I said with a laugh. "Showed the droids that they are no match for even the defectives!" I chuckled but continued when he did not seem to get the joke. "I was running grenades from the armory to the front lines so that we could defend the barracks."
The Mandalorian nodded his head before saying, "That's how it should be. Sometimes not everyone is born with the ability to fight directly. Fight with whatever you have, however you can. Soldiers need ammo, but they also need essentials, especially good clothes. Even the youngest shepherd or weaver is valuable if they contribute. In the tapestry of war, everyone has their proper place, at least that's how the ancient ways were."
"Thank you for your kind words, sir." I breathed. This is the first time anyone has ever given me such words.
"But enough about that, what's your name? I'll make sure you get a reward nonetheless."
"99, sir. And really, I don't need it."
"99? Terrible name for someone with your amount of courage. But I see that's what Kaminoans do." He shook his head in dismay. "Name is Tabi Kregg, by the way, and keep an eye out. Wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow, Tanya's putting up enough credits to get you a job in the Mandalorian sector."
I laughed before saying, "I wouldn't even know what to do outside the jobs I do here. Besides, someone has to make sure my brothers know what they're doing before they get sent out there."
Tabi shrugged before saying, "Of course, but what are you going to do after the war?"
"Never really thought about it. I'll likely die of old age long before the war is over. And if I don't, I'll be too weak to be of much use anywhere." I admitted, gazing at the rain coming down outside. "I do know that most of the boys are probably going to end up in Mandalorian space."
"Galaxy is a big place. But no doubt some will." Tabi agreed in the tone that my brothers used when they didn't want to insult me with their disagreement. He didn't understand, then.
"The instructors — the ones the boys respect, at any rate, talk about Mandalore. The boys lap it up." I nodded towards the window and the weather outside. "Our little corner of the galaxy is..." I struggled for the right word.
"Matte." Tabi agreed. "Lackluster. Beige in soul. I haven't been here long, but I know what you mean."
"But the way the instructors talk about it, Mandalore is mythical. Most want to go there one day. Not just some." I hoped the Mandalorian knew the scale, the weight. Some brothers refused to think of anything beyond service to the Republic, but others had a vision. I did not know where it had come from, but one day the idea of the endless empty and green systems of the Mandalorian sector had captured the imagination of a unit. Then a company, then the entire army. The dream of peace, farmsteads that stretched out to the horizon, quiet and simple labor for the rest of our days after the war.
I could not see it myself, our place was not the same as those we were born to protect in the Republic. We were different, and it did little good to ponder on what was right, what was fair. Goodness only came from kindness and service to your brothers. That was enough for me.
Tabi nodded. "Really? Well, consider accepting it then. You could help your brothers transition into civilian life after this is over. Help them succeed after the war."
"I'll give it some thought. If your superior really is going to give me something like that... B-being of use to my brothers is all I really want in life."
Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Tanya Kryze
The return trip from Kamino had been rather quick and speedy, but any positive thoughts regarding my fast return to Coruscant were thoroughly overshadowed by what happened on Kamino. Not only did I lose a trusted subordinate to a clone of myself, the report I was required to give about the Clones' lack of reproductive education and the risks of spreading their engineered genetic traits has been made redundant.
After the attack on Kamino reached the Senate, Chancellor Palpatine struck while the iron was hot and had pushed for a "Clone Care Act", which included giving clones additional rights, along with financial support and a pension after the war. Which was frustrating, considering the votes that were done without the information in my reports. While my trip to Kamino was essentially next to useless, getting clarification on what impact the clones would and wouldn't have is useful for any long-term integration plan.
On another note, important questions pertaining to the war were also asked. Such as how is the Republic going to continue the fight with the Separatists if Kamino had been lost. The war hawks had already answered that by suggesting recruiting from the existing Republic population and building a proper army to fight the droids. They even proposed we draft locals to garrison their home systems, so the clone garrison can be transferred to the frontline as a more palatable solution.
I watched holo-vids of the debates that I had missed, but the important parts of the conversation that I had been able to gather were twofold. First, the Republic was now looking into establishing additional sources for supplementing their army, including moving some of Kamino's research to a planet that would be more defensible than Kamino, possibly somewhere in the Core. Second, and this part made me somewhat happy, the Clone Care Act had given clones equal rights, at least after their service had concluded at the end of the war.
Of course, the war hawks still considered the clones no better than droids, but there were concessions to allow them to work after the war other than garrison duty. It was also clarified that any products of clones, such as their offspring, did not bear the same financial responsibility as the clones themselves. It was a stretch, but it was better than nothing. At least they weren't considering transferring the clones' debt of creation onto their children. That's something we did not need.
All in all, the situation was in a better place than it had been when we had left. Sure, there was chaos on Kamino, but that was not related to the issue of clone rights. That's not my problem, but I'm sure it will be in the future. Some senators would demand to open up more cloning facilities now that Kamino is damaged. But with the clone's and their children's rights secured to some extent, the idea that clones are just biological droids would be a problem that would heal in time.
As long as people viewed the clones as people, they would be more willing to push for them to have luxuries and eventually freedoms. If they continued to view them as meat droids, they would be open to exploitation. Or, and this was just a possibility, unless there were some serious mental controls that I was unaware of, eventually resulting in rebellion. Yes, during my meetings with the Kaminoans, there were mentions of a few mental controls and indoctrination in the clones' research, but you can only push a person so far before they can't take it anymore. People are not mechanically destined to fall under the control of others.
Leaning back, I looked up at the sky, wondering what the stars would look like without the light pollution from across the planet. It's impossible to tell, but I tried to imagine it. I was surprised that there hadn't been any efforts to create a few dead zones to keep the night sky visible. Then again, what few dead zones that might exist were possibly in derelict industrial districts that are most likely used by criminals or the homeless. Unfortunately, the Jedi Temple is surrounded by active buildings for miles around so there is more than enough light pollution to not make this a suitable stargazing location.
"Tanya, come for a visit, have you?" The familiar voice of Jedi Master Yoda called from beside me.
Grinning, I looked down from the stars and said, "Of course, Master Jedi. It's been a while since we've had one of our conversations. I thought I'd pay you a visit and see how you're doing."
The little green alien nodded as he hobbled over, sitting down on the bench next to me in our favorite little park on the roof of the Jedi Temple.
"A long time since we've had a conversation, it does feel like." Yoda said, nodding his head. "Much has happened. Yes. Not hard to see why we haven't had a chance to speak, Ms. Kenobi."
I chuckled at that unusual name and title. "How long have you known? I heard that Master Kenobi got a grilling from Master Windu, but you spoke in his favor. It feels like I am the last to know on this particular subject."
Yoda laughed good naturedly, "I was not aware as well, so you were not the last to know. But something about you, there was, that did remind me of Kenobi when I first saw you. A familiar melody in the Force between you. That is a story for another time. Tell me, young Tanya, what brings you to the Jedi Temple in a sour mood? I can feel it in the Force, something burning in your mind, which is odd, considering the victory in the Senate you were given today."
I smiled at that in pained sympathy, "You pay attention to Senate politics."
"Unfortunately, yes." Yoda confirmed, nodding dramatically. "Often forced to, especially with the ongoing war. A busybody, the Senate has been about the Jedi's efforts to try and run the war. Ever since Kromus..." He shook his head, visibly sadder. "In some respects, wise they are, to try and keep an eye on us. A dark affair, that was. But in others, they hamper our efforts to end this war. Thankfully, the Chancellor has intervened and prevents the Senate from interfering too greatly. Yet, control over much of the military, he has also gained, over the last few months."
"Chancellor Palpatine is one of the Jedi's greatest allies, from what I've seen. That should not be too big of a concern." I replied.
Yoda nodded and smiled briefly again. "We believe so, too. Though there are those who worry that giving him this power, this ability to prosecute the war, may backfire. He has already, after all, superseded democracy to stay as Chancellor instead of retiring after his two terms."
I nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's an understandable worry. Although I believe he will eventually step down once the war ends. He doesn't seem like the corruptible type — he has declared multiple times of stepping down to preserve the spirit of democracy. He wants to save the Republic, from what I've seen."
The little green master nodded his head but said, "Off-topic, I believe we are. What troubles you, young Tanya?"
"Sorry." I finally leaned back and said, "During my trip to Kamino, one of my handmaidens ran into one of Count Dooku's agents, a wielder of a red lightsaber and force abilities. Apparently, though this agent was of a different species, yet she bore my face."
Yoda tilted his head at that before saying, "A clone, but not a clone? Yes, Kenobi reported as such in his report. Not the first time, this is. Remember, do you, the uprising at the start of the year?"
"Hard not to. It delayed my birthday for a whole month." I replied.
Yoda chuckled lightly, "Next time, invite me, would you? Been to a Mandalorian birthday party, I have not."
I nodded my agreement, "I'm sure that can be arranged." I held in my smirk at how uncomfortable that will be for my father next year.
"Returning to the topic, Young Skywalker reported that he defeated Count Dooku during the uprising. Or at least someone who looks like Count Dooku. Retrieved, the body was, and fooled I was as well. But report it we didn't because at the same time, elsewhere Count Dooku was spotted, hmm. Obviously, still alive he is, and yet the corpse remains. DNA confirms that it should be Count Dooku, but it's not. A clone, it must be. It's strange that your clone is not the same species as you, unless..." Yoda looked away, clearly concerned about something. "Anakin mentioned that this 'false' Count Dooku was not very Force adept. He had some of Count Dooku's skills with a blade, but his Force powers were minimal. You say that the agent you fought uses Force abilities."
I nodded my head and asked the question that had been bothering me, "My father is a Jedi and this agent, my clone, appears to have Force abilities. Does that mean I have them too? I-I really don't care. I'm not a Jedi, not a soldier. I'm a politician. I don't need those abilities to do my job."
Yoda's smile crackled a bit before saying, "Of all the politicians I have ever met, one of the better ones, I think you are. Most would probably be secretly trying to learn how to use their abilities for their own security, they would claim."
I chuckled, "From what I've seen, nothing like a good blaster can provide enough security for me. I'm not fighting space wizards; I'm running away."
Yoda laughed out loud, "Always in motion, you are, Tanya. Feel free to stop by anytime. A joy it always is to have our conversations, hmm."
Raxus Secundus, Dooku's Palace
Asajj Ventress
Standing before Count Dooku, I laid the container with Jango Fett's DNA sample on his desk, "I have returned, Master."
He smiled as he looked at it and said, "Very good, my apprentice. I'm still undecided on how to use this in the future. Your success should cause issues with their supply and production for the next few months, allowing us more opportunities to weaken the Republic."
He summoned the doctor he had been keeping on retainer, the one who was good at cloning. "Take this to your lab. Let me know when you find a useful application for this."
"Of course, my Count. I will get started right away." She said, intently examining the container before leaving the main office with it.
Count Dooku stood up and stared down at the city below, "I've heard something rather interesting today. Well, I wouldn't say heard, shouted rather."
"Someone had the gall to raise their voice to you, master? I wonder how long you allowed them to regret that." I raised an eyebrow, curious about the situation.
Count Dooku huffed as well and said, "Unfortunately, I had to restrain myself as the boy is too valuable to be taught his place. The young Prince of Mandalore demanded an audience, and the droids almost blasted him."
"Ah... the New Mandalorian." I said, understanding his concern about maintaining a delicate balance of alliances.
"Yes, the boy that Liliya was talking about. His sister was on Kamino during the attack. Unfortunate timing. He was angry, blaming me for putting her life at risk. Of course, it took a while to convince him that this operation was planned long ago and that I had no knowledge that his sister would be there. Truly unfortunate, though. If I had known, your orders would have included her capture."
I nodded my head before saying, "It shames me to admit this master, but even if you had given me such an order I doubt I would have been able to carry it out. There were far more Jedi present than the intelligence suggested, more Mandalorians too. Even with our numbers, it was barely sufficient to accomplish our primary objectives."
Count Dooku nodded, "Your capabilities, and that of your subordinates, must be improved, Ventress. While I am pleased that you know your limits, you must never cease to push beyond them. You shall never eclipse me at your current rate of growth, and the Galaxy shall be poorer for it. But we shall set that aside for the moment. Ensure that your report to me focuses on the capabilities of the young senator and her guard. There may well be valuable information that will aid in the operation to apprehend her. "
"Master, do we really need the senator on our side? She is untrained and weak. There are other, more promising candidates who have yet to join our forces. Why must we spend so many resources and so much of our focus on this particular girl? We have plenty of Dark Jedi and Acolytes in our Order already."
Count Dooku studied me before he spoke, fingers steepled at his desk, "That is true, we have numerous candidates that are Force sensitive and are willing to learn to wield a lightsaber. Our development of dark acolytes is slowed only by our lack of qualified instructors and facilities. Thus, we must focus our efforts on individuals such as Tanya, who is a natural with the Force. She wields it without even realizing it's nature, piercing even my illusions without effort. Those who are capable of piercing illusions are a rarity, those who can pierce them without even realizing it are invaluable. If we bring her to our side, we would have an agent positioned within the Senate who could become a perfect counter agent. An agent that requires far less training than others to be useful in identifying and unmasking my master's other apprentices."
I furrowed my brow, and I had to admit that having an agent already in the Senate is a unique asset that could not be easily dismissed, especially if that agent is very Force sensitive as to ignore illusions all together. Count Dooku stood up and collected himself, "Come, we are going on a walk."
I followed him as he walked out of his office, leading us into the hallway and then out of the manor. From there we continued until we reached the far end of a plaza, away from the manor and closer to the woods. He stepped over to a stone spire and pressed a hidden stone.
"That should do." he said matter-of-factly, while I patiently waited for him to continue.
"There are eyes and ears everywhere, as I've learned. Through the staff, I discovered that my father was very concerned with those eyes and ears. He turned to ancient magic charms and spells as a solution. Most were of no use, evidence of the ignorance the masses of the galaxy have of the true nature of the Force. But this unassuming pillar, this Stone of Obscura does hold power, one that has frustrated my efforts to replicate its properties. If someone is trying to listen to us, they shall fail regardless of how they intend to do so, so long as we're near this stone. I do not use it often because the more you use it, the more likely someone will learn of its capabilities." he explained.
I nodded my head, understanding the need for secrecy, as he continued, "You are someone aware of my Master's position, not fully, but you are aware of some things. That he is powerful and well-placed, since he controls the Confederacy. What you don't know for sure is that he is powerful and well-placed within the Republic Senate as well."
"So what you told Kenobi is true?" I asked, seeking confirmation.
"Very true. This war will see my master's rise to powers and heights unseen within the Republic. And the Republic's fall, well, I was promised a New Order to replace it, one that would see the issues of the Outer Rim finally resolved." He revealed.
"What about the Mandalorian Senator?" I prompted, needing clarification.
"Senator Kryze represents another option. She is a growing power within the Senate, not strong yet, but with the potential to lead and unite multiple factions into a force to be reckoned with. A possible rival to my Master on the political battlefield, but one he has yet to stamp out. I suspect because he thinks that she could be my replacement if I were to fail. I'm aware that he has other students under his influence. He claims to abide by the Rule of Two. I see his duplicity now. I suspect that I was once one such replacement to his original apprentice, the one who killed my former Padawan. He most likely has multiple contingencies like that on the board, ready to be brought to the fore." He explained further.
I listened intently, realizing the complex web of power dynamics at play, as he continued, "Thus, I'm doing the same, with great care. I know that he would order me to remove my students if I ever amassed too many in his limited vision. Or if they were ever to grow too powerful."
"So, what is your plan? To bring Tanya to our side, place her in the Senate as the leader, and in the war after removing your Master?" I inquired, trying to piece together his grand scheme.
Count Dooku smiled and clapped my shoulder kindly, saying, "Precisely my apprentice, his vision is limited. Beholden to ancient paranoia and has no place in the galaxy when the Jedi Order falls. We must take steps to remove the poison that is the Rule of Two. It is folly of the greatest order to believe that two alone would be able to effectively administer the galaxy. With my master gone, I could end the Sith and build something new. Interestingly enough, this gives me an option I had not considered. If I control the CIS and a student of mine controls the Republic, why, there's no reason for the war to end conclusively. Perhaps it would be worth considering some effort to find a peaceful resolution. Perhaps it is time for a multipolar galaxy, one where our New Order protects against corruption and pointless infighting by controlling the many governments under our influence. We are still far from accomplishing that, but in time, it is possible."
"I understand, my Master. The Republic has spies everywhere, and who knows what operations of theirs will interfere with ours. I will be more careful with our planning in the future, to avoid failures due to entanglements with The Republic." I emphasized the word, despite the stone's protection, to show I understood the implications. If Count Dooku's Overlord controlled the Republic, then their actions and his were one and the same.
Count Dooku seemed to consider things for a moment before he nodded, then he reached out to press the stone before walking back towards his mansion. I quickly fell in behind him.
"Do you believe that the senator's presence on Kamino is a coincidence?" I asked, curious about his thoughts.
Count Dooku nodded, "Oh, I doubt it. He's well aware of what I have planned. I do doubt that he believed it would be as successful as it was. That will be a surprise, I'm sure."
As we continued walking, he brought up another topic of interest, "How did Sev'rance and her acolyte fare? It is her first time on the field for one, and for the other, her first time back on the field after she was crippled."
"Sev'rance did as expected. Her skill with a blade has not diminished, though her aggressiveness has. I wouldn't say she's less of an acolyte than she was before her injury, but she is not as willing to take as many risks. She isn't creating any opportunities for her opponents, never giving them the chance to get the upper hand. Her potency in the Force has diminished as well, but that is to be expected." I replied, providing an assessment of Sev'rance performance.
"Good, good. She is still an effective agent, but if I hadn't shown her a few of my techniques, she would have died. Now she's learned to be more cautious of her own life in combat, which may diminish her abilities to cause damage to the enemy. But it will be useful when this war is over, especially when we have to deal with the next war to unite the Rim." Count Dooku remarked, acknowledging Sev'rance's effectiveness.
I smiled at the implication of uniting the Outer Rim, which meant resolving the issue that hindered proper communication among the Outer Rim territories. Currently, the Confederacy was divided into two fronts. Although there were workarounds, the Hutt Space blockade posed a significant obstacle.
Not to mention, much of the corruption that Count Dooku talked about did come from Hutt Space. Unleashing the Droid armies, his new Dark Acolytes, and mercenaries on the Hutts to bring them to heel was an interesting idea. Even just diminishing their empire somewhat, enough to allow safe transit, would be very useful. Though the Hutts do have a military of their own, it consists mostly of mercenaries and pirate scum that would not last against a Droid fleet led by a B1.
"As for her Acolyte," I continued my report, "she is an acceptable apprentice for Sev'rance. She managed to make it to the cloning room without being spotted and retrieve the sample."
Count Dooku nodded, considering the next steps. "Good. Perhaps I'll pay Dr. Zotho another visit tonight. If her first clone was as successful as that, I wonder what else she can create for me. The Arkanian have proven themselves far beyond that of other cloners I have contracted over the years. The Doppelgänger Project I told you about before was a failure. He died the first time I even let him out."
He shook his head in embarrassment and continued, "We're still months away from Mother Talzin producing the agents she has promised me, and we should keep our expectations measured so as to not become complacent. You will need to return to your homeworld to oversee the final process and prepare for our plan to capture the senator. While she is not a lynchpin of our efforts, I do wish to prevent her from falling into my master's hands." He paused as if considering something before continuing.
"In the meantime, I shall send Sev'rance and her apprentice to investigate a potential temple, somewhere unknown to my master. It shall serve as a training ground for our new students, a refuge and an exercise in prudent redundancy. It is a wound, a place of darkness where neophyte Force users might hone themselves." Count Dooku commanded, outlining his plans for the future.
I nodded, acknowledging his leadership, and said, "I will see your plans come to fruition, Master, I shall not fail you."
"You have proven yourself many times over, my apprentice, but do not become overconfident. While I do demand much from you, I also demand that you know your limits." His tone took a softer tenor as he spoke. "Your corpse is useless to me." I struggled to resist the smile that came with his acknowledgement of my prowess.
Writer's note: And there we go, chapter 61! Woo! And the first chapter of the new year! Been working hard to get this out. It took a bit because this used to be two separate chapters that we had to fit together, but I think turned out good, and now we get in the groundwork for the next arc and man it is a doozy of an arc.
Please comment, review, and generally enjoy yourselves…
Edited by: MeowATron9000, Jan Mantsch, Fall, Warmach1ne32, Ghost-339, Afforess
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717 FNM (21 BBY) Month 7
Kamino, Tipoca City
Tanya Kryze
"Why are there so many damn droids?" Khae called out as she opened fire at the incoming horde of droids. One of said droids loses its head when Khae's bolt makes a direct impact on it. It is merely one of the many droids that were eliminated by my retinue and the clone defenders around us. I took the opportunity to lean over the cover we found and fire off a few shots of my deactivator at the oncoming horde.
"Because that's all they are making on hundreds of worlds." Engiz said as he smashed his staff into an approaching B1.
"No, I mean, why are there so many coming this way? What's so important behind us?" Khae asked, which was a good point. So, I looked towards the Kaminoan senator.
"We keep backup samples of Jango Fett's DNA in this building. If this is destroyed, we will have less material with which to produce more clones until we could obtain more. However, this is also the most defensive area of the entire installation. It would require an enormous storm to break through the defenses."
"Or a horde of droids." I said, looking over at the oncoming robots as they marched down the hallway without fear.
"True, but we should be fine. More clones are coming as we speak, most likely bringing the heavier equipment we have stored in for invasions like this."
"But we're cut off from the hangar bay until then." I tapped my communicator with annoyance. "Captain Struc, can you hear me?" All I got in response was static. Great, now the droids were jamming the comms. I turned it off before adding, "Never mind, we are on our own."
"So, our main escape route to safety is overrun. Are there any other options? Any other panic rooms, safe areas nearby, anything at all?" Engiz asked Senator Burtoni as he continued to deflect incoming bolts.
Senator Burtoni crept as low as possible, and looked over at a nearby door. "There's one we could go in." Quickly stepping up, she moved over and clicked a few buttons, opening the door. "This is one of the DNA storage vaults. The door is heavily reinforced and the room itself has multiple automated defenses in place to defend it."
"So it's not a panic room, instead it's most likely one of the enemy objective's. I have a bad feeling about this." I shook my head, about to say that we are likely better off going backwards when a sidewall near us exploded.
The droids that had been marching towards us were thrown out of the way, and for a moment, I thought reinforcements were finally here to save us. I even thought that as the big, lumbering man with a Mandalorian symbol across his chest came into view, carrying a missile launcher and wearing rather heavy gear. But my thoughts quickly turned to confusion as the creature unraveled his arm and smashed the clone that had been hiding behind some cover in front of us, strangling and ripping him apart at the same time with tendrils of muscle.
"Die, you fake Mandas! Die a death all of you deserve!" The intruder jeered ominously.
I holstered my deactivator, swapping it for one of the blaster rifles discarded on the floor. "You know what, maybe going into the vault would be a good idea."
"Right." Senator Burtoni agreed, pressing a button and sealing the three of us out. "Oops~" I barely heard her exclamation of surprise through the door as my rage at this absolute disaster of a day continues to grow. How could she not know how to operate her own panel?
"Well, what do we have here?" The menacing voice from earlier was approaching, causing me to turn and face the creature. "Those dresses seem to have the Iron Hearts on them, a favorite symbol of the Mandalorians. But you ain't the Manda'lor. Hmm, you don't have the armor, either. Oh, Royal Guard. I recognize that helmet design. You're a New Mandalorian, aren't you?"
Engiz stepped between me and the creature. "Mandalore is neutral in this conflict and has no involvement in this war. If you're working for the CIS, you must—"
"Nonsense. I'm a mercenary. I am only beholden to the one who pays me." The creature interrupted, slinking forward with a seemingly growing presence, as if his muscles were doubling in size as he moved. "All I want to do is to kill every Mandalorian who was ever born, created, cloned, or brainwashed. I don't care how you joined that order, you are monsters that must be destroyed."
"Oh Void, it's Durge!" Khae screamed, as she brought her pilfered blaster to bare.
"Ah, so my genocide still precedes me. Always good to know that my name is still spoken with fear amongst you irreparable lot."
"Why don't you do yourself a favor and just shoot yourself in the head?" Khae retorted, bringing her blaster to bear and firing a shot into the barrel of the rocket launcher he was carrying. A rather massive explosion was the result, as an unknown number of rockets exploded inside the magazine. It blew off parts of Durge's arm and a hole into another room.
"You, I like you." Durge said, as his arm and neck were already starting to reform. He grasped onto sheets of metal that used to be a wall and tore it off to form large claws, before moving closer.
Khae, though, came through again. She fired another shot that hit one of his eyes, causing him to flinch back. I doubted the bolt actually penetrated his helmet, but the flash seemed to have at least blinded him, giving us a moment to run. I grabbed what I could and moved towards another open hole in the wall away from Durge. I landed into what appeared to be some sort of manufacturing area, with Engiz and Khae not far behind.
"Run, run as fast as you can, little Mandalorians! You're not escaping me!" Shouted the voice from the hole up in the side of the wall.
As we passed through various assembly lines, I saw various weapons that might be useful, piles of clone armor, and a fallen tripod mount with an intact looking blaster cannon. I pointed at the blaster cannon. "Help me set this up."
We moved the cannon so that it was aimed towards the hole that we came through. I have never been more thankful that Aunt Bo decided to bring a blaster cannon for me to try out during my childhood training trip. While this blaster cannon is a more modern variant to the one Aunt Bo brought, it's from the same manufacturer, so the basic operating procedure is still the same.
"Here you are in the middle of a battlefield, wielding weapons like it's a natural instinct. That tells me all I need to know about these so-called pacifists of this era. You're just hiding your nature behind kind words." The monster taunted us, before jumping down into the manufacturing area in front of us. "There you are, had enough of hiding, you irredeemable creatures!"
"We're not hiding." I turned the tripod-mounted laser cannon to face the monster. "Just looking for something to even the size difference here."
There was a pause as Durge performed a double take; before he recognized what I was aiming at him. He started to move into action, swearing, "Sithspit." as he sent his claw-equipped arm towards me, intending to strike me down before I could pull the trigger.
One cannon blast later, and his arm was severed, twirling over my shoulder and embedding itself into the wall.
"Will you stop blowing my arm off?" Durge called, sounding annoyed and in pain, as he tried to grow a new one.
"Sure, after this." I replied, firing the cannon again. The blast blew off his lower legs, leaving Durge on the ground with only his torso, a right arm and head.
"Is he dead?" Engiz asked from where he had been taking cover, my eye twitched when I noticed he had been covering Khae from any danger.
"I doubt it. Are you dead yet?" I called towards the creature. He was still growing his limbs, though at a slower rate.
Durge laughed his hollow laugh before saying, "Alright, you are definitely Mandalorians. Better than the damn clones, at least. They wouldn't have risked using such a powerful weapon so close to their precious equipment."
"Are you going to keep coming after us, then?" I asked, lining up the shot with the creature's main body.
"Of course, I have all the time in the galaxy to kill your Emerald Lot. My grudge with your people is legendary. I've been hunting your kind for thousands of years, and you think cutting off my legs and arm will stop me? Ha!" The remnants of his left arm grabbed several blaster rifles, bringing all five to face me at the same time.
"Listen, I don't know what your grudge with the Mandalorians is. I get it, a thousand years of history and all that." With a blast, his rifle went flying as that limb was removed after a press from my trigger finger. "But that's a thousand years ago. Most of us just want peace. The only reason I'm here is to make sure that these, as you call them, fake Mandalorians don't come back to Mandalore and revitalize the culture you're apparently at war with to the point that the New Mandalorians become outcompeted." I explained.
"...What are you on about?" Durge said, looking at me confused, his head tilted in thought as he listened.
I continued, "These clones, or at least a percentage of them, are trained in the Old Ways. Where are they going to go once this war is over? A scant few will probably make it back to Mandalore and try to bring back their Old Ways. But if they try to go back to the Old 'conquering systems through genocide and war', that's a problem for all Mandalorians. These clones have no real education, no true knowledge of our ways, peoples, and clans. Their only education is violence, and they have few attachments, which is its own problem. We could be facing the birth of a new Neo-Crusader movement from the remnants of the Clone Army someday in the future. That's why I'm trying to make sure that the New Mandalorian way is seen as acceptable to these clones so that they can retire to civilized society and maybe forget about the Old Ways, the Old Ways you are trying to kill. At least I assume that is what you are doing."
"Haha!" Durge laughed out loud before saying, "So, what you're saying is you're a fifth column within the Mandalorians, trying to guide them towards a peaceful existence? That will never happen."
I smiled before leaning forward and saying, "I prefer to think of myself as a member of the concerned aristocracy. We need to protect our future trade partners, so we can make profits off of them. Credits run the galaxy; conquest is just a waste of time."
"Well, aren't you an audacious aristocrat? Haha, It's never going to work! But you sparked my curiosity! I'll let you live for now. Whether you succeed or fail in your plan, before we meet again and I kill you, is something novel that I look forward to seeing." Durge pulled himself up to his full height. Parts of his muscles moved to find the pieces of armor on his former lower half and ripped them away to cover himself. "Who are you, Mandalorian, that you think you have such powers?" Durge asked.
I kept my finger directly pointing the blaster cannon at his helmeted head, assuming that if I could get the shot off, I might actually be able to harm him. Hopefully. That's assuming that he couldn't move his brain and other organs elsewhere in his body. Actually, it would be safer to assume that he is capable of a lot more than that even. "I'm Tanya Kryze, daughter of Satine Kryze, Duchess of Mandalore and Senator of the Mandalore sector."
Durge looked at me, and for some reason, he seemed to be smiling through his helmet. Then he laughed. "You're quite insane, little Mandalorian. But you have lucked into a position of power that I don't think anyone with your attitude has ever had. I can wait for the civil war that you'll inspire." Durge merely turned away, heading back towards the hole he had created. His left arm extended up to the hole, ready to pull himself up. But before he did, he turned and looked at me. "When you inevitably cause that civil war, feel free to give me a call. I like a good fight, and killing Mandalorians is always a fun time. Something tells me you're going to have to kill a lot of Mandalorians, maybe even a genocide of your own, to get the sector you dream of."
And with that ominous warning, Durge pulled himself up through the gap. Once we were alone, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding and slumped onto the blaster cannon tripod.
Khae and Engiz rushed over.
"Are you okay, Tanya?" Engiz asked, as he went about checking for any injuries.
"I'm fine, just a little bit too much excitement today."
"You could say that again." Khae said, putting her hand on my shoulder reassuringly. "I don't think anyone has ever managed to cause Durge to back down. Why did he?"
I shook my head, saying, "The cannon is the only reason he backed down, as far as I could tell. The fact that he couldn't make an attack without me blowing off a limb was enough for him to consider this a stalemate that was wasting his time."
"Why do you think that?" Engiz said.
"He's hired to complete a mission. He's a mercenary. I doubt his mission was to hunt me, specifically. He's probably heading towards the DNA vault to destroy it, or maybe he's after something else. Who knows what his goal for this operation is, and it doesn't matter because that is not our job."
"Of course, now do we try and go through the route he passed through, or do we find another?" Engiz asked.
I looked at the passageway he went, then took a guess, looking at the wall across from it. I reached out to grab the blaster cannon and fired it at the wall. The wall exploded, and we heard blaster fire from two sides, fighting each other. A clone popped his head over the side, looking down into the room we are in.
"Guys, there are civilians down here!" The clone called back to his squad, and then he looked down towards us. "Do you need help?"
"We could use some way to get out of here, yes. How safe is it up there? We need to get to the hangar bay panic room." I replied.
"Good news, we're part of the detachment under Jedi General Shaak Ti. We are pushing to take back the hangar bay. Do you want to follow us?"
"We would, thank you." I called out before saying, "Well, at least we're going in the right direction now."
Kamino, Tipoca City
Asajj Ventress
So far, this mission seems to be going according to plan. Originally, only Grievous and I were supposed to be allocated to this attack, as my master and I had first discussed. But as time passed, my master had decided on expanding the attack beyond its original scope to prepare to bring his own vision of this war into reality. To accomplish that, prolonging the conflict and seizing every opportunity for victory would give my master the time he needed to enact other plans. Thus, Kamino needed to be assaulted with all the assets he could gather for a truly crippling blow.
So far, those additional assets have performed within expectations. Durge had accomplished his mission of breaking into various clone banks across the facility. The only reason he hadn't managed to destroy all of the clone banks was because Anakin Skywalker showed up and put up enough of a fight to force him back.
The Mandalorians we brought along had just sent a messenger to report that they had finished raiding the juvenile barracks and were on their way back to CIS space. I sensed some lies and deception in what he had said through the Force. When I asked if they completed their objective, he confirmed it and spoke truthfully, and that was all that mattered. I will investigate what happened myself once we were back in CIS territory.
As for Grievous, he remained in orbit, keeping the fleet engaged in battle. He had wanted to come down to the planet and lead the assault himself, but my master had other plans for him. The official reason was that he was not ready for a full unveiling, better to keep his full capabilities secret until a later operation this year.
However, I happened to know the real reason. My master's master had ordered him to stay away from Anakin Skywalker. Why he had done that, I didn't know. I had theories and suspicions about Skywalker's intended fate, but nothing confirmed. Yet, I doubted I would even know if not for my own investigations over the last few years. Whatever reason the Sith Lord had for keeping things hidden, I was sure it was not good. I would eliminate Skywalker when the time came for us to break from my master's master.
Putting that aside, everyone performed their objectives well and we are getting ready to leave. Sev'rance was relegated to my subordinate and does the actual work of coordinating this operation while I lead from the front. Her acolyte had been sent to retrieve the DNA sample and destroy any clones she came across. She had yet to return, but I could feel her Force signature coming closer, so she would likely be back soon. Because communications were being jammed, we had to rely on messengers for any meaningful coordination. Thus, I couldn't contact her for her estimated time of arrival. Once her Acolyte arrives, we can withdraw from Kamino, back to CIS space. The droids will stay to cover our escape, of course.
But those thoughts were interrupted when the droids guarding the main doors into the hangar started to open fire down the hallway, signifying that we are about to receive another counterattack to retake the hangar to prevent our escape. It didn't take long for a Jedi to sprint through the door and start slicing droids as clones streamed into the hangar.
"In the name of the Republic, surrender!" Jedi Master Shaak Ti shouted, before she charged at the front line of droids with grace and fury, though I doubt she meant to have that fury. The clones fired at the droids, who obviously weren't going to surrender.
Looking at Sev'rance, I only lightly taunted her. "Should I take this one? The last time you faced off against a Jedi, you were cut down to size."
The Chiss looked at me with a detached smirk. "I am capable enough to keep her occupied, I am sure a few Mandalorians are within your capabilities to handle."
"Mandalorians?" I asked, as I looked back at the open doorway to see a Mandalorian Royal Guard followed by two women in a mix of dresses and clone armor, their blasters ready.
"Oh my, what do we have here?" I called out. "Has the Republic run out of soldiers already? I know we're attacking Kamino, but I expected more from the Republic." I drew their attention while Sev'rance moved to stall the Jedi Master.
"No," a blonde clad in green replied, "we're still neutral. We're only fighting because people keep attacking us."
"If you're neutral, why are you running around in the middle of a war zone?"
"Because the war zone keeps finding us, and we had to move towards the only panic room that's not being held shut by a self-absorbed coward." The blonde explained, pointing her blaster in a low ready position, that would do her little good.
"That is unfortunate. I have to ask, are you by any chance Tanya Kryze, the senator of Mandalore?"
The two female Mandalorians looked at each other, before the blonde dressed in orange stepped in front of her. "No, I am Tanya." I didn't need the Force to know that she was lying, with how obvious it was.
Ignoring her, I turned back to the real Mandalorian Senator, the blonde in the green dress. "Senator Kryze." I sketched a mock curtsy. "I just happen to have standing orders from Count Dooku. If we ever encounter you during a military operation, we are to escort you to safety. If you would surrender and come with me, you'll be out of this battle and into safety."
She looked back and forth before saying, "And become a hostage of the CIS just as you are preparing to retreat? The Separatists have legitimate grievances, I'll grant you that, but the CIS is nothing but a corrupt series of monopolies. I'll be fine here, thank you very much."
"I'm afraid it isn't safe here anymore. Perhaps you should reconsider." I said, igniting my two lightsabers. I stepped towards her, ready to remove the two obstacles and knock her out.
Suddenly, the ceiling in front of me collapsed, and a new figure arrived, smashing down to the ground in front of Tanya.
"Kenobi~" I greeted the new arrival with amusement. He stood up to his full height, lightsaber active, hand out in front.
"Ventress, I should have known that this was your handiwork. Having to deal with so many droids today. I almost missed hearing your taunts." Kenobi said.
"You flatter me, Obi-Wan. I've taken apart enough clones that they have become predictable and dull. They do not compare to the skill of a Jedi."
"While I do enjoy our fights to some extent. You should surrender. Whatever plans Count Dooku has for the Outer Rim will not end well. The Sith are evil, and being connected to them will only bring you pain and suffering, both of you." He said, glancing at Sev'rance, who was currently busy fighting Shaak Ti.
I had to admit, Sev'rance seemed to have improved her skill with a lightsaber after her near-death experience. Yet, even though the fight itself seemed to require her full attention, she is slowly and surely getting pushed back. She isn't at the level where she can challenge a Jedi Master directly, but that's to be expected.
"Oh, my dear Kenobi, I would love to consider your offer, but maybe you should reconsider joining us. After all, you know what awaits at the Core. Count Dooku is right; what you're defending is nothing but the heart of corruption." I replied with a sly smile.
"By the Void, are you two flirting?" The girl in the green clothes shouted, looking indignant.
Kenobi turned, shocked, looking at her before saying, "Tanya, what are you doing here?"
"Senator work and apparently watching my father flirt with another woman in the middle of a firefight."
"You're his daughter?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, acting as if I had not been informed of this bit of information. "Kenobi~, I'm hurt. You have a daughter and you never told me? I thought we were more than just colleagues, that we had something special." Perhaps I was taking too much joy from this situation, but the look on his face was oh so entertaining.
"Can we discuss this at another time, please?" He pleaded, turning to look at me firmly, pain in his eyes. I could even feel it in the Force even as he held his lightsaber ready to fight me.
"Has your dear father ever told you about the time that he told Commander Loathsom that he 'surrendered' and then had operatives sent to destroy his shield generator and then attack him during the parlay when his underhanded attack succeeded?" I interjected.
The girl blinked, looking stunned at the Jedi. "Isn't false surrender a war crime?" Her confused face was so precious.
"We're not really generals, and that's not really a war crime as far as I'm aware." Kenobi replied.
"The excuse that you're not a general does not mean it is not a war crime. You can't just fake surrender in war because that makes it more likely that the other side will just shoot surrendering soldiers and remove any chances of future parleys. Resulting in more armies fighting to the death because both sides will kill prisoners because they don't trust those that surrendered to keep their word." Tanya argued, expression intense now.
"They already shoot surrendering soldiers." Kenobi weakly pointed out.
"Actually, I can't speak for other commanders, but I only started shooting surrendering soldiers after that trick." I chimed in. I wasn't even lying.
The withering look she gave Obi-Wan was highly satisfying after all of the quips the Jedi shared during our previous encounter. The daughter and father duo were just perfect.
I turned off my lightsabers, doing my best to stifle any laughter that I could, as a white-robed figure jumped in from outside the hangar bay doors. "Ah, Acolyte, I see that you've secured the DNA." The acolyte nodded, her face hidden by the shadowy cloak she wore. But I noticed that she wasn't wearing her mask, and this was the first time I had seen her face. Even with her hood, her face is almost identical to that of the Mandalorian senator yet very pale.
I suppressed my surprise and kept my expression still, but I was very curious as to where my Master found her. No harm in asking discretely once we returned to Raxus. Accepting the DNA she offered to me, I attached it to my belt. Sev'rance noticed that her Acolyte was back, and disengaged with Master Shaak Ti to rejoin us.
"Well, now that we have what we came for, it's time we depart." I announced loudly as a droid transport ship came in quick and low, arriving just outside the landing bay. Inside the cockpit, I could see Durge. "Are you sure you and your daughter would not like to join us? I'm more than happy to take you along and have a good conversation about how you will eventually betray me. I still believe we had something special, Kenobi."
"You really are wrong about that, but it doesn't matter. Surrender, Ventress. Even if you managed to load all of your gang of evildoers onto that ship, the ongoing fleet action will prevent you from escaping. You'll be shot down." Kenobi retorted.
"I must refuse, but thank you for your concern. Maybe we do hold some sort of connection after all." I smirked. As the others quickly loaded onto the transport, I was the last to jump back onto the open doorway, blowing him a kiss goodbye. With that, we fled, securing our victory. The cloning facilities on Kamino were devastated and a good portion of their younger generations were dead. Their DNA samples were now in our possession, which presented an enormous opportunity, diplomatically and scientifically. All in all, this was a proper victory. They may still hold the planet, but it would mean little in the future.
Kamino, Tipoca City
Tanya Kryze
I sighed as I saw the enemy transport ship flying away, and then had a happy smile as the doors to my left slid open and my guards and Vai came rushing out, looking around before they spotted me. "Tanya! Thank Manda you are alright! I'm so glad you're okay." She exclaimed and I was tackled by a person wearing beskar armor, which was painful.
"I'm fine, only emotionally traumatized." I replied.
"Emotionally?" She asked, confused. Before I could explain, the doors to the right slid open, and two Mandalorians leading squads of clones breached into the hangar. They swept along the perimeter of the hangar, looking to bring down any remaining droids that were hiding on one side of the docking bays.
"It looks like we have secured the area. Report that the hangar is under our control and see to the wounded. We'll move on to clearing this section, shortly." Jedi Master Shaak Ti announced to her clone subordinates before she approached, nodding to Kenobi. She turned to me and added, "You must be the young Tanya, I've heard much about you over the last few Jedi Council meetings."
"Hopefully, good things." I said with a practiced smile. With all of the work I did to mend the bridge between Mandalorian and the Jedi, I wasn't all that surprised that the Council would have frequent discussions on my actions. Even if I thought that they would have more pressing matters to spend their time discussing, like planning on how to win the war.
"So far, yes. The Republic thanks you for your assistance. I am aware that as a neutral, you have no obligation to fight alongside us, yet I am delighted to know that when the situation calls for it, you will side with the Republic." Jedi Master Shaak Ti replied.
"If the situation calls for it, I shall side with anyone. This time it was the CIS that was threatening my life. Who knows if the next time it will be the Republic that would threaten my life?" I shrugged.
Jedi Master Shaak Ti walked off to talk to Obi-Wan, and I went with my guards over to the series of boxes, which we quickly arranged into a camp circle of sorts. Sitting between Engiz and Vai, I announced, "Worst work trip ever."
That got a series of laughs, but Vai tapped me on the shoulder and pointed towards a couple of LAATs. "Yeah, but hey, those are kind of fun." She countered.
I looked over there and saw that an image of myself in my green armor, the one I had worn on Geonosis, posing seductively, was plastered on one of the LAATs. "Very funny." I deadpanned. More annoyingly, past the one of me was another one of me, kind of. It was the Silver Mandalorian, except it wasn't my Silver Mandalorian, it wasn't a Vai Silver Mandalorian. It was the HoloNet-edition Silver Mandalorian.
My right eye twitched to see the comparisons quite openly between the two artworks. Shaking my head, I sighed and said, "I wish I had a drink."
"I'll be right back." Khae announced before proceeding to approach the Mandalorian trainers, who arrived sometime after the battle. After speaking with them for a moment, Khae inspected something inside one of their abandoned packs. As I watched, the trainers followed Master Shaak Ti out of the hangar with a majority of the clones in tow, likely to patrol for any remaining battle droids. "Here, I got you something." Khae announced happily, returning carrying a container. She pulled out what appeared to be a thermos and popped the lid, offering it to me.
At this point, I didn't really care what it was, so I reached out and took the thing. I feel its weight sloshing about as I give it a shake. Bringing it up to my nose, I sniffed it and recoiled in interest. I smelled coffee, I smelled spices, and I thought I smelled alcohol too. "What is this?" I asked.
"Ne'tra gal, an old clan drink, we have our own variant on Gargon from the Old Mandalorian families. It's probably been around for millennia. The Mandalorians back there boasted that you're not a real Mandalorian until you've had a taste of this." She explained.
"How much have you already had?" Skota asked suspiciously.
I raised an eyebrow but shrugged, putting it to my lips and tasting it, then drinking it, then gulping it, so I missed Khae's answer. Pulling the thermos away, I let out a sigh as I quite enjoyed the taste in my mouth. It was fairly sticky and sweet like a black milkshake, but was very pleasant for my palate. And yes, there was a strong taste of alcohol in it too. This was great, I loved it.
"Where's Kastel?" I asked, finally noticing that we were one short. I assume that he was sent to the infirmary after sustaining an injury as the reason he is not here with us. I gave Vai the drink for her to try, before she offered it to Tabi.
"He… he's dead. That monster cut his arm off and killed him." Tabi said before he took a sip. "Some sort of Sith acolyte or something."
"Damn. That's… very troubling." I said, in surprise, before shaking my head. Feeling a little bit drunk, resulting in me not dealing with this sort of news as tactfully as I would have liked. I had not lost many of my men in my last life, at least not ones I had known as well as I'd known Kastel.
It's true that he was one of my less talkative guards, but he had been loyal, and I trusted him to some extent when I needed help to keep my alibi when I was at Gargon as White Silver. Losing someone trustworthy is a very serious blow, as trustworthy and skilled subordinates are very rare. Exhausted, I added, "I'll make sure he gets the best funeral care we can provide. Then we're going to find this Sith spawn murderer and deal with him." I felt a bit of anger enter my voice, no one kills my employees and gets away with it.
"I know." Vai said, looking down at her hands, before she leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Also, that killer was Arkanian." I raised an eyebrow, not really sure why that matters, before she added, "And she has your face."
"What?" I hissed back.
She shrugged, and I was just left there confused and worried. I needed that drink to make its way back around. I think I am going to finish it.
Kamino, Tipoca City
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Rain poured down onto the city outside the window I was looking at. It had been a couple of days since the raid, yet the still rising smoke indicated that some areas were still smoldering and undergoing repair. This had been a very damaging assault, but the city had survived and only a few of the production facilities were significantly damaged. Unfortunately, a majority of the Kaminoan's storage of Jango Fett's DNA was destroyed. With only a fraction of cloning material available to be used, the Republic will face an eventual shortage of clones as the Kaminoans couldn't produce any new clones until they receive another sample.
Luckily, that was for the politicians to handle. For now, I'm focused on the realm of my own life. Which, I will admit, was getting more complicated than I imagined.
Shaking my head, I was about to step away from the window when I heard the clack-clack of heels. Turning, I saw Tanya approaching, her hands in front of her. She came to a stop next to me, looking at the same window I was. "Good morning, Master Kenobi."
"Good morning, Senator Kryze." I said with a nod.
She nodded to herself. "You know, I was going to try and avoid having a conversation with you, but my staff is in a rather sour mood after we lost one of our own yesterday. They feel that I should try and speak with you while I have the chance, since you seem to be avoiding me as well."
"I wouldn't say I'm avoiding you; I was just very busy with the war." I said, looking out the window before nodding and meeting her eyes. "Though I will admit I'm not exactly sure how to speak to you now that we know about our connection."
"Yes, the father-daughter thing." Tanya said with a nod of her head. "Not exactly sure how to talk about that myself, except to point out the fact that you are having a flirtatious conversation with another woman."
I sighed and shook my head before saying, "That was merely banter between enemies to unbalance the other."
"Some very long and prolonged banter. Is that how Mother defeated you?" Tanya mused. "Isn't that the first step to losing fights, letting the enemy get in your head?"
"No. I'm also trying to get in her head as well." I said matter-of-factly, looking at her.
"Why?"
I looked back out the window towards the city before replying, "Perhaps I'm looking at the good in people too much, but I always get the sense from Ventress that there's still good in her. She just needs the right push to come to the right side."
"That seems a bit too much of a hope. Even if she is, as you say, got a little bit of good in her, with how many people she's killed for the CIS, she would be thrown in prison and never see the light of day again."
I nodded my head in agreement before saying, "That's likely, yes. But maybe she could escape the CIS and the war. Flee to Wild Space or something, find inner peace helping some world on the fringes of the galaxy in a peaceful life."
"I can't fault anyone having a peaceful life." Tanya said contritely, and then she paused ominously. I thought I sensed... anticipation? "So I shouldn't tell Mother that you flirted with the enemy?"
I let out a sigh, though my eye caught the mischievous smirk on her face. When Satine wore that smile it meant she was joking, usually. With Tanya, I am not sure if she would or wouldn't follow through. "You could... Well, that would just make things more confusing when this war is finally over." I said.
Tanya nodded her head before sighing, "Well, I think we've danced around the subject as much as we can. So, father-daughter bonding thing, how are we going to actually go about it?"
"Yes, to be honest I haven't really given it much thought due to most of my time dedicated to fighting the war." I mused. "Yet, I doubt you really need a father figure at this point in your life, considering you are already an adult."
Tanya huffed before saying, "From what I heard, you're not that bad of a father figure to have. Anakin seemed to turn out alright after all, so if you ever want to impart a little bit of parental wisdom, I'm not going to say no."
"Hmm, I guess that's a good place to start, though I'm not really sure what wisdom I could impart on you."
"Give it a shot. The worst thing you can do is give me wisdom that does not work for me."
I nodded my head, looked out the window before saying, "You lost a man yesterday. That loss is painful, and I know Mandalorians are rather passionate about their opinions on things, but you must remember that he was most likely not targeted by the CIS. Whoever caused it, you should not hold the entire CIS responsible for a single death. There are good people on both sides of this conflict — though it is hard to see sometimes, they are there."
Tanya nodded her head, and she said, "Not bad. The CIS did not order his death, yet his killer seemed rather determined to cause damage without any care to the repercussions it would cause the CIS. I am not going to forgive her for the loss of one of my own but the fact that she has my face is even more worrying." She shook her head before saying, "Good advice nonetheless."
I smiled before saying, "Do we hug now? Not really sure where to go from there." I'll also need to inform the Council that the Sith created a clone of Tanya.
She chuckled before saying, "I don't think we're there yet, but you can put your hand on my shoulder reassuringly if you want."
"That'll do." I said, doing that, as we looked out into the stormy night.
Kamino, Cadet Barracks
99
"There we go, that's this section cleaned up." I mused as I finished mopping up the floor outside the barracks that I had helped defend. I had to move carefully as my leg had not fully healed yet after taking a blaster shot. The boys at Medical told me to rest until my leg healed, but with everyone giving their all to fix up our home, I couldn't do any less.
I'm just grateful I only got a flesh wound, a lot more boys weren't as lucky. I'm sure I would have died if those Mandalorian trainers hadn't led a pincer attack on the droids. While I've been able to finally do my part and be a soldier, I would rather never have that chance if it meant thousands of others died before their time. These barracks may have been defended, but there were many others who weren't as lucky. I heard that multiple cadet barracks were missing their cadets, as in they were cleared out and the cadets are unaccounted for. Who knows what horrors those droids are going to put those cadets through.
But now that the fighting was over, I was back to doing janitorial duties. I spoke with the young recruits who would listen to me, hopefully giving them advice towards the right path. It wasn't worth worrying about the others, or their disparaging remarks about my appearance. I've heard them all before, so it doesn't hurt me anymore. I've done my part, and that is enough for me.
Well, that and being a fly on the wall for various conversations between some of the elite members of Kamino society. Very interesting conversations were going on right now; talks of how they were going to have to take a sample of DNA from Omega. Who that was, I wasn't sure. I would guess it would be some sort of Clone that they kept in for situations like this. Kaminoans did like to keep redundancies hidden out of the way. Seems like this contingency probably paid off if that was true. Other than that, there was also news about how the Republic was going to construct their own clone industry to produce additional soldiers, with a focus on inferior clones with inferior training.
Sighing deeply, I hobbled over to a bench to rest my leg before a chill came over me. I glanced about before something compelled me to glance under the bench; something shiny caught the light. I reached down to pick it up and turned it over in my hands. It looked like a reflective mask with a faint crack along the middle. The light played over its beautiful surface. Inspecting the back, I found that the inside of the mask had been carefully etched with a rich blood-red ink into a stunning series of patterns. The indentations where the mask would hug the chin, nose and forehead were the only indications as to how the mask would remain affixed to a face.
It was an art piece, it had to be. I found myself hunched over the mask, a finger tracing the elegant line work. Something so stunning on the inside of the mask, never to be seen. I felt giddy to get a chance to see something like this. How had it gotten here? No clone would have owned this, and the cloners would make something so...
I turned the mask over again to find I had been mistaken, the silvery surface was unblemished. Perfect and seamless, there had never been a crack... Surely—
"Ah, there it is." A voice called from my right. Turning, I saw a man approaching. He was wearing an ornate armor and an unusual helmet with wings coming off the sides that I didn't recognize, holding a staff in one hand.
"Finally found the blasted thing." He complained, shaking his head before smiling and offering a hand to me. "Need a hand getting up?"
I nodded and took the offered hand, and was pulled up. I held up the mask, "This belongs to you?"
He shook his head sadly in disagreement, but nevertheless reached out. "No, it belonged to an enemy who got away. My liege wanted me to come find it, which is why I'm out here." He waited a moment before inclining his head and frowning.
I blinked and carefully handed him the beautiful mask. "Sorry." I muttered, feeling conflicted. I stuffed my hands into my pockets, lacking anything else for them to do.
The man looked it over, examining it up close, and judging by the eyes, giving it a grimace. "Evidence, she called it. I think it's just a mask. Not even beskar by the look of it."
"Oh, you're Mandalorian." I realized aloud. That got a nod from him. "It isn't really my business," I mused, "I just clean. It's a lovely mask, however."
The Mandalorian tilted his head, "Oh, well, count yourself a little bit lucky, too. Senator Kryze is offering a reward for anyone who finds the mask."
I tilted my head before saying, "A reward? I don't need those sorts of things. My reward is making sure my brothers succeed in battle."
He looked down at my leg. "Looks like you were in a battle too."
I grinned. "That's right!" I said with a laugh. "Showed the droids that they are no match for even the defectives!" I chuckled but continued when he did not seem to get the joke. "I was running grenades from the armory to the front lines so that we could defend the barracks."
The Mandalorian nodded his head before saying, "That's how it should be. Sometimes not everyone is born with the ability to fight directly. Fight with whatever you have, however you can. Soldiers need ammo, but they also need essentials, especially good clothes. Even the youngest shepherd or weaver is valuable if they contribute. In the tapestry of war, everyone has their proper place, at least that's how the ancient ways were."
"Thank you for your kind words, sir." I breathed. This is the first time anyone has ever given me such words.
"But enough about that, what's your name? I'll make sure you get a reward nonetheless."
"99, sir. And really, I don't need it."
"99? Terrible name for someone with your amount of courage. But I see that's what Kaminoans do." He shook his head in dismay. "Name is Tabi Kregg, by the way, and keep an eye out. Wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow, Tanya's putting up enough credits to get you a job in the Mandalorian sector."
I laughed before saying, "I wouldn't even know what to do outside the jobs I do here. Besides, someone has to make sure my brothers know what they're doing before they get sent out there."
Tabi shrugged before saying, "Of course, but what are you going to do after the war?"
"Never really thought about it. I'll likely die of old age long before the war is over. And if I don't, I'll be too weak to be of much use anywhere." I admitted, gazing at the rain coming down outside. "I do know that most of the boys are probably going to end up in Mandalorian space."
"Galaxy is a big place. But no doubt some will." Tabi agreed in the tone that my brothers used when they didn't want to insult me with their disagreement. He didn't understand, then.
"The instructors — the ones the boys respect, at any rate, talk about Mandalore. The boys lap it up." I nodded towards the window and the weather outside. "Our little corner of the galaxy is..." I struggled for the right word.
"Matte." Tabi agreed. "Lackluster. Beige in soul. I haven't been here long, but I know what you mean."
"But the way the instructors talk about it, Mandalore is mythical. Most want to go there one day. Not just some." I hoped the Mandalorian knew the scale, the weight. Some brothers refused to think of anything beyond service to the Republic, but others had a vision. I did not know where it had come from, but one day the idea of the endless empty and green systems of the Mandalorian sector had captured the imagination of a unit. Then a company, then the entire army. The dream of peace, farmsteads that stretched out to the horizon, quiet and simple labor for the rest of our days after the war.
I could not see it myself, our place was not the same as those we were born to protect in the Republic. We were different, and it did little good to ponder on what was right, what was fair. Goodness only came from kindness and service to your brothers. That was enough for me.
Tabi nodded. "Really? Well, consider accepting it then. You could help your brothers transition into civilian life after this is over. Help them succeed after the war."
"I'll give it some thought. If your superior really is going to give me something like that... B-being of use to my brothers is all I really want in life."
Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Tanya Kryze
The return trip from Kamino had been rather quick and speedy, but any positive thoughts regarding my fast return to Coruscant were thoroughly overshadowed by what happened on Kamino. Not only did I lose a trusted subordinate to a clone of myself, the report I was required to give about the Clones' lack of reproductive education and the risks of spreading their engineered genetic traits has been made redundant.
After the attack on Kamino reached the Senate, Chancellor Palpatine struck while the iron was hot and had pushed for a "Clone Care Act", which included giving clones additional rights, along with financial support and a pension after the war. Which was frustrating, considering the votes that were done without the information in my reports. While my trip to Kamino was essentially next to useless, getting clarification on what impact the clones would and wouldn't have is useful for any long-term integration plan.
On another note, important questions pertaining to the war were also asked. Such as how is the Republic going to continue the fight with the Separatists if Kamino had been lost. The war hawks had already answered that by suggesting recruiting from the existing Republic population and building a proper army to fight the droids. They even proposed we draft locals to garrison their home systems, so the clone garrison can be transferred to the frontline as a more palatable solution.
I watched holo-vids of the debates that I had missed, but the important parts of the conversation that I had been able to gather were twofold. First, the Republic was now looking into establishing additional sources for supplementing their army, including moving some of Kamino's research to a planet that would be more defensible than Kamino, possibly somewhere in the Core. Second, and this part made me somewhat happy, the Clone Care Act had given clones equal rights, at least after their service had concluded at the end of the war.
Of course, the war hawks still considered the clones no better than droids, but there were concessions to allow them to work after the war other than garrison duty. It was also clarified that any products of clones, such as their offspring, did not bear the same financial responsibility as the clones themselves. It was a stretch, but it was better than nothing. At least they weren't considering transferring the clones' debt of creation onto their children. That's something we did not need.
All in all, the situation was in a better place than it had been when we had left. Sure, there was chaos on Kamino, but that was not related to the issue of clone rights. That's not my problem, but I'm sure it will be in the future. Some senators would demand to open up more cloning facilities now that Kamino is damaged. But with the clone's and their children's rights secured to some extent, the idea that clones are just biological droids would be a problem that would heal in time.
As long as people viewed the clones as people, they would be more willing to push for them to have luxuries and eventually freedoms. If they continued to view them as meat droids, they would be open to exploitation. Or, and this was just a possibility, unless there were some serious mental controls that I was unaware of, eventually resulting in rebellion. Yes, during my meetings with the Kaminoans, there were mentions of a few mental controls and indoctrination in the clones' research, but you can only push a person so far before they can't take it anymore. People are not mechanically destined to fall under the control of others.
Leaning back, I looked up at the sky, wondering what the stars would look like without the light pollution from across the planet. It's impossible to tell, but I tried to imagine it. I was surprised that there hadn't been any efforts to create a few dead zones to keep the night sky visible. Then again, what few dead zones that might exist were possibly in derelict industrial districts that are most likely used by criminals or the homeless. Unfortunately, the Jedi Temple is surrounded by active buildings for miles around so there is more than enough light pollution to not make this a suitable stargazing location.
"Tanya, come for a visit, have you?" The familiar voice of Jedi Master Yoda called from beside me.
Grinning, I looked down from the stars and said, "Of course, Master Jedi. It's been a while since we've had one of our conversations. I thought I'd pay you a visit and see how you're doing."
The little green alien nodded as he hobbled over, sitting down on the bench next to me in our favorite little park on the roof of the Jedi Temple.
"A long time since we've had a conversation, it does feel like." Yoda said, nodding his head. "Much has happened. Yes. Not hard to see why we haven't had a chance to speak, Ms. Kenobi."
I chuckled at that unusual name and title. "How long have you known? I heard that Master Kenobi got a grilling from Master Windu, but you spoke in his favor. It feels like I am the last to know on this particular subject."
Yoda laughed good naturedly, "I was not aware as well, so you were not the last to know. But something about you, there was, that did remind me of Kenobi when I first saw you. A familiar melody in the Force between you. That is a story for another time. Tell me, young Tanya, what brings you to the Jedi Temple in a sour mood? I can feel it in the Force, something burning in your mind, which is odd, considering the victory in the Senate you were given today."
I smiled at that in pained sympathy, "You pay attention to Senate politics."
"Unfortunately, yes." Yoda confirmed, nodding dramatically. "Often forced to, especially with the ongoing war. A busybody, the Senate has been about the Jedi's efforts to try and run the war. Ever since Kromus..." He shook his head, visibly sadder. "In some respects, wise they are, to try and keep an eye on us. A dark affair, that was. But in others, they hamper our efforts to end this war. Thankfully, the Chancellor has intervened and prevents the Senate from interfering too greatly. Yet, control over much of the military, he has also gained, over the last few months."
"Chancellor Palpatine is one of the Jedi's greatest allies, from what I've seen. That should not be too big of a concern." I replied.
Yoda nodded and smiled briefly again. "We believe so, too. Though there are those who worry that giving him this power, this ability to prosecute the war, may backfire. He has already, after all, superseded democracy to stay as Chancellor instead of retiring after his two terms."
I nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's an understandable worry. Although I believe he will eventually step down once the war ends. He doesn't seem like the corruptible type — he has declared multiple times of stepping down to preserve the spirit of democracy. He wants to save the Republic, from what I've seen."
The little green master nodded his head but said, "Off-topic, I believe we are. What troubles you, young Tanya?"
"Sorry." I finally leaned back and said, "During my trip to Kamino, one of my handmaidens ran into one of Count Dooku's agents, a wielder of a red lightsaber and force abilities. Apparently, though this agent was of a different species, yet she bore my face."
Yoda tilted his head at that before saying, "A clone, but not a clone? Yes, Kenobi reported as such in his report. Not the first time, this is. Remember, do you, the uprising at the start of the year?"
"Hard not to. It delayed my birthday for a whole month." I replied.
Yoda chuckled lightly, "Next time, invite me, would you? Been to a Mandalorian birthday party, I have not."
I nodded my agreement, "I'm sure that can be arranged." I held in my smirk at how uncomfortable that will be for my father next year.
"Returning to the topic, Young Skywalker reported that he defeated Count Dooku during the uprising. Or at least someone who looks like Count Dooku. Retrieved, the body was, and fooled I was as well. But report it we didn't because at the same time, elsewhere Count Dooku was spotted, hmm. Obviously, still alive he is, and yet the corpse remains. DNA confirms that it should be Count Dooku, but it's not. A clone, it must be. It's strange that your clone is not the same species as you, unless..." Yoda looked away, clearly concerned about something. "Anakin mentioned that this 'false' Count Dooku was not very Force adept. He had some of Count Dooku's skills with a blade, but his Force powers were minimal. You say that the agent you fought uses Force abilities."
I nodded my head and asked the question that had been bothering me, "My father is a Jedi and this agent, my clone, appears to have Force abilities. Does that mean I have them too? I-I really don't care. I'm not a Jedi, not a soldier. I'm a politician. I don't need those abilities to do my job."
Yoda's smile crackled a bit before saying, "Of all the politicians I have ever met, one of the better ones, I think you are. Most would probably be secretly trying to learn how to use their abilities for their own security, they would claim."
I chuckled, "From what I've seen, nothing like a good blaster can provide enough security for me. I'm not fighting space wizards; I'm running away."
Yoda laughed out loud, "Always in motion, you are, Tanya. Feel free to stop by anytime. A joy it always is to have our conversations, hmm."
Raxus Secundus, Dooku's Palace
Asajj Ventress
Standing before Count Dooku, I laid the container with Jango Fett's DNA sample on his desk, "I have returned, Master."
He smiled as he looked at it and said, "Very good, my apprentice. I'm still undecided on how to use this in the future. Your success should cause issues with their supply and production for the next few months, allowing us more opportunities to weaken the Republic."
He summoned the doctor he had been keeping on retainer, the one who was good at cloning. "Take this to your lab. Let me know when you find a useful application for this."
"Of course, my Count. I will get started right away." She said, intently examining the container before leaving the main office with it.
Count Dooku stood up and stared down at the city below, "I've heard something rather interesting today. Well, I wouldn't say heard, shouted rather."
"Someone had the gall to raise their voice to you, master? I wonder how long you allowed them to regret that." I raised an eyebrow, curious about the situation.
Count Dooku huffed as well and said, "Unfortunately, I had to restrain myself as the boy is too valuable to be taught his place. The young Prince of Mandalore demanded an audience, and the droids almost blasted him."
"Ah... the New Mandalorian." I said, understanding his concern about maintaining a delicate balance of alliances.
"Yes, the boy that Liliya was talking about. His sister was on Kamino during the attack. Unfortunate timing. He was angry, blaming me for putting her life at risk. Of course, it took a while to convince him that this operation was planned long ago and that I had no knowledge that his sister would be there. Truly unfortunate, though. If I had known, your orders would have included her capture."
I nodded my head before saying, "It shames me to admit this master, but even if you had given me such an order I doubt I would have been able to carry it out. There were far more Jedi present than the intelligence suggested, more Mandalorians too. Even with our numbers, it was barely sufficient to accomplish our primary objectives."
Count Dooku nodded, "Your capabilities, and that of your subordinates, must be improved, Ventress. While I am pleased that you know your limits, you must never cease to push beyond them. You shall never eclipse me at your current rate of growth, and the Galaxy shall be poorer for it. But we shall set that aside for the moment. Ensure that your report to me focuses on the capabilities of the young senator and her guard. There may well be valuable information that will aid in the operation to apprehend her. "
"Master, do we really need the senator on our side? She is untrained and weak. There are other, more promising candidates who have yet to join our forces. Why must we spend so many resources and so much of our focus on this particular girl? We have plenty of Dark Jedi and Acolytes in our Order already."
Count Dooku studied me before he spoke, fingers steepled at his desk, "That is true, we have numerous candidates that are Force sensitive and are willing to learn to wield a lightsaber. Our development of dark acolytes is slowed only by our lack of qualified instructors and facilities. Thus, we must focus our efforts on individuals such as Tanya, who is a natural with the Force. She wields it without even realizing it's nature, piercing even my illusions without effort. Those who are capable of piercing illusions are a rarity, those who can pierce them without even realizing it are invaluable. If we bring her to our side, we would have an agent positioned within the Senate who could become a perfect counter agent. An agent that requires far less training than others to be useful in identifying and unmasking my master's other apprentices."
I furrowed my brow, and I had to admit that having an agent already in the Senate is a unique asset that could not be easily dismissed, especially if that agent is very Force sensitive as to ignore illusions all together. Count Dooku stood up and collected himself, "Come, we are going on a walk."
I followed him as he walked out of his office, leading us into the hallway and then out of the manor. From there we continued until we reached the far end of a plaza, away from the manor and closer to the woods. He stepped over to a stone spire and pressed a hidden stone.
"That should do." he said matter-of-factly, while I patiently waited for him to continue.
"There are eyes and ears everywhere, as I've learned. Through the staff, I discovered that my father was very concerned with those eyes and ears. He turned to ancient magic charms and spells as a solution. Most were of no use, evidence of the ignorance the masses of the galaxy have of the true nature of the Force. But this unassuming pillar, this Stone of Obscura does hold power, one that has frustrated my efforts to replicate its properties. If someone is trying to listen to us, they shall fail regardless of how they intend to do so, so long as we're near this stone. I do not use it often because the more you use it, the more likely someone will learn of its capabilities." he explained.
I nodded my head, understanding the need for secrecy, as he continued, "You are someone aware of my Master's position, not fully, but you are aware of some things. That he is powerful and well-placed, since he controls the Confederacy. What you don't know for sure is that he is powerful and well-placed within the Republic Senate as well."
"So what you told Kenobi is true?" I asked, seeking confirmation.
"Very true. This war will see my master's rise to powers and heights unseen within the Republic. And the Republic's fall, well, I was promised a New Order to replace it, one that would see the issues of the Outer Rim finally resolved." He revealed.
"What about the Mandalorian Senator?" I prompted, needing clarification.
"Senator Kryze represents another option. She is a growing power within the Senate, not strong yet, but with the potential to lead and unite multiple factions into a force to be reckoned with. A possible rival to my Master on the political battlefield, but one he has yet to stamp out. I suspect because he thinks that she could be my replacement if I were to fail. I'm aware that he has other students under his influence. He claims to abide by the Rule of Two. I see his duplicity now. I suspect that I was once one such replacement to his original apprentice, the one who killed my former Padawan. He most likely has multiple contingencies like that on the board, ready to be brought to the fore." He explained further.
I listened intently, realizing the complex web of power dynamics at play, as he continued, "Thus, I'm doing the same, with great care. I know that he would order me to remove my students if I ever amassed too many in his limited vision. Or if they were ever to grow too powerful."
"So, what is your plan? To bring Tanya to our side, place her in the Senate as the leader, and in the war after removing your Master?" I inquired, trying to piece together his grand scheme.
Count Dooku smiled and clapped my shoulder kindly, saying, "Precisely my apprentice, his vision is limited. Beholden to ancient paranoia and has no place in the galaxy when the Jedi Order falls. We must take steps to remove the poison that is the Rule of Two. It is folly of the greatest order to believe that two alone would be able to effectively administer the galaxy. With my master gone, I could end the Sith and build something new. Interestingly enough, this gives me an option I had not considered. If I control the CIS and a student of mine controls the Republic, why, there's no reason for the war to end conclusively. Perhaps it would be worth considering some effort to find a peaceful resolution. Perhaps it is time for a multipolar galaxy, one where our New Order protects against corruption and pointless infighting by controlling the many governments under our influence. We are still far from accomplishing that, but in time, it is possible."
"I understand, my Master. The Republic has spies everywhere, and who knows what operations of theirs will interfere with ours. I will be more careful with our planning in the future, to avoid failures due to entanglements with The Republic." I emphasized the word, despite the stone's protection, to show I understood the implications. If Count Dooku's Overlord controlled the Republic, then their actions and his were one and the same.
Count Dooku seemed to consider things for a moment before he nodded, then he reached out to press the stone before walking back towards his mansion. I quickly fell in behind him.
"Do you believe that the senator's presence on Kamino is a coincidence?" I asked, curious about his thoughts.
Count Dooku nodded, "Oh, I doubt it. He's well aware of what I have planned. I do doubt that he believed it would be as successful as it was. That will be a surprise, I'm sure."
As we continued walking, he brought up another topic of interest, "How did Sev'rance and her acolyte fare? It is her first time on the field for one, and for the other, her first time back on the field after she was crippled."
"Sev'rance did as expected. Her skill with a blade has not diminished, though her aggressiveness has. I wouldn't say she's less of an acolyte than she was before her injury, but she is not as willing to take as many risks. She isn't creating any opportunities for her opponents, never giving them the chance to get the upper hand. Her potency in the Force has diminished as well, but that is to be expected." I replied, providing an assessment of Sev'rance performance.
"Good, good. She is still an effective agent, but if I hadn't shown her a few of my techniques, she would have died. Now she's learned to be more cautious of her own life in combat, which may diminish her abilities to cause damage to the enemy. But it will be useful when this war is over, especially when we have to deal with the next war to unite the Rim." Count Dooku remarked, acknowledging Sev'rance's effectiveness.
I smiled at the implication of uniting the Outer Rim, which meant resolving the issue that hindered proper communication among the Outer Rim territories. Currently, the Confederacy was divided into two fronts. Although there were workarounds, the Hutt Space blockade posed a significant obstacle.
Not to mention, much of the corruption that Count Dooku talked about did come from Hutt Space. Unleashing the Droid armies, his new Dark Acolytes, and mercenaries on the Hutts to bring them to heel was an interesting idea. Even just diminishing their empire somewhat, enough to allow safe transit, would be very useful. Though the Hutts do have a military of their own, it consists mostly of mercenaries and pirate scum that would not last against a Droid fleet led by a B1.
"As for her Acolyte," I continued my report, "she is an acceptable apprentice for Sev'rance. She managed to make it to the cloning room without being spotted and retrieve the sample."
Count Dooku nodded, considering the next steps. "Good. Perhaps I'll pay Dr. Zotho another visit tonight. If her first clone was as successful as that, I wonder what else she can create for me. The Arkanian have proven themselves far beyond that of other cloners I have contracted over the years. The Doppelgänger Project I told you about before was a failure. He died the first time I even let him out."
He shook his head in embarrassment and continued, "We're still months away from Mother Talzin producing the agents she has promised me, and we should keep our expectations measured so as to not become complacent. You will need to return to your homeworld to oversee the final process and prepare for our plan to capture the senator. While she is not a lynchpin of our efforts, I do wish to prevent her from falling into my master's hands." He paused as if considering something before continuing.
"In the meantime, I shall send Sev'rance and her apprentice to investigate a potential temple, somewhere unknown to my master. It shall serve as a training ground for our new students, a refuge and an exercise in prudent redundancy. It is a wound, a place of darkness where neophyte Force users might hone themselves." Count Dooku commanded, outlining his plans for the future.
I nodded, acknowledging his leadership, and said, "I will see your plans come to fruition, Master, I shall not fail you."
"You have proven yourself many times over, my apprentice, but do not become overconfident. While I do demand much from you, I also demand that you know your limits." His tone took a softer tenor as he spoke. "Your corpse is useless to me." I struggled to resist the smile that came with his acknowledgement of my prowess.
Writer's note: And there we go, chapter 61! Woo! And the first chapter of the new year! Been working hard to get this out. It took a bit because this used to be two separate chapters that we had to fit together, but I think turned out good, and now we get in the groundwork for the next arc and man it is a doozy of an arc.
Please comment, review, and generally enjoy yourselves…
Edited by: MeowATron9000, Jan Mantsch, Fall, Warmach1ne32, Ghost-339, Afforess
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