Not original

716 FNM (22 BBY)

Month 6

Geonosis, Arena VIP Balcony

Count Dooku

What a waste all of this is. My efforts to negotiate for the release of the Mandalorian Representative's friends as well as Jedi Knight Kenobi were in vain. Unfortunately, for all of my influence and popularity within the Separatist Council, that does not equate to having absolute authority. That is the price I have to pay for having the Separatists use a form of democratic system. The majority have voted to have all three of them executed, and to locate and eliminate the other remaining four posthaste. Such a pointless waste of potential.

Even with Kenobi implying that I have a bit more connections to Jango Fett than I'd initially let on, I still believe it was still feasible to bring him to our side by feigning ignorance to Gunray's intentions and plot. Yet that opportunity is not to be; I see Kenobi being chained to a pylon along with the two captured Mandalorians, while three massive beasts are slowly herded into the arena. If the Princess's companions are killed, then Mandalore would have a legitimate claim to side with the Republic, but much more importantly, Ms. Kryze would be lost as an asset to me. So much potential, squandered.

If that wasn't enough, this style of execution itself is a disgrace. I had to concede to this event because we are on Geonosis, we had to abide by its people law and custom. The issue is that their preferred method of executing foreign spies is a blood sport. It is barely even a sport, as the convicted are chained to a pylon and thus unable to defend themselves in some small ways. However, this is their world and the plan still requires their factories, so I had to endure this pointless spectacle. At least the condemned are doing an admirable job of preparing themselves to fight back.

The female Mandalorian, who is probably Ms. Kryze's handmaiden, is yanking up at her chain while crawling up the monolith to get away from the approaching creatures. The Royal Guard is severing his shackles with what appears to be a plasma cutter from his prosthetic arm, which is an unexpected surprise. Meanwhile, Kenobi appears to be preparing to try and use the insect's claws to free himself.

This blatant barbarism is one of the many reasons why I do not respect some of the allies that I had to gather. While these creatures were quite industrious with their factory, that did not mean that they were all intelligent. Geonosians are biologically stratified by birth, with only their highest caste members possessing the reasoning capacity necessary for membership in the Separatists. The individuals in the stadium today are not members of that caste. They are simple folk, here to enjoy the show, taste a bit of bread and circus before they go back to their true purpose.

I sighed as I refocused my gaze to the arena below, masking my frustration behind a veil of disinterest. My presence was necessary as the leader of the Separatists. I had to observe justice administered, even if I thought the form of justice was rather foolish.

I admit, this was of my own missteps, the consequence of not fully consolidating control over the Separatists. My original plan had called for the Separatist Council to have some independent autonomy, to further confuse the truth from the Republic's propaganda as well as to delegate the majority of the non-essential work to others while I focus on more critical tasks. This meant occasionally giving the illusion that I was willing to heed the Separatist Council's opinions. However, in this particular situation, there was terribly little I could do in the way of overwhelming political maneuvering and even less to overrule this farce.

My only hope now lies in Ms. Kryze manages to escape off-world so that we may meet again in the future. If she is still alive, it is still possible that I can still convince her to join my side. So long as she still lived, I am content that I would have another chance to draw her into my service, even if it would have to be merely as my apprentice and not a member of the Confederacy with the support of the Mandalore Sector. Her survival would also prevent Mandalore from joining the war on the Republic's side. Although, should Mandalore join them, they were hardly all that important in the grand scheme of things.

Curiosity and another more distinct sensation came from the Force that gave me pause. This sensation of calm peace reminded me so much of the Jedi Temple and at such intensity that I can sense the arrival of more than a hundred Jedi stepping on Geonosis surfaces. How interesting. Exactly how they managed to land on the planet without alerting the fleet in orbit is a mystery to me. There were plenty of starfighters in existence, and there are larger vessels they could have used to transport such a large number of Jedi. Despite my uncertainty about their method of arrival and how they managed to get past the fleet in orbit, the reason for their presence was clear.

The droids were positioned to march into the arena at my signal. The trap was set and it was only a matter of time until the Jedi would make their appearance, likely when they believed they had the upper hand. I also felt the absence of Jango. With a hundred Jedi about to arrive, I could have used more reliable individuals capable of reducing their number down to a more manageable size. Of course, I didn't enjoy the idea of killing my former Jedi brethren, but I would never get a more perfect opportunity to make myself apparent as a Sith.

Once the Jedi caught a glimpse of my red lightsaber, they would assume that I am the Sith Lord, the one who orchestrated the events of Naboo years before. The mere sight of a Sith would be enough to draw the Jedi Order into the conflict. Tanya had described it as a "theological dispute," and it was apt enough as any description. Despite the fact that their involvement would only serve to diminish their own strength and cloud their judgment, they would push forward nonetheless.

Naturally, this would depend on survivors being able to report back. Knowing the Jedi, they would not surrender once given the opportunity. Jedi doctrine dictated that there must be no compromise with the Dark Side and the Sith, and thus they will fight to the bitter end. This will ultimately serve my purpose. No doubt the galactic shock of so many Jedi dying in this battle would be even more devastating than the tragedy at Baltizaar. A disaster of such magnitude would finally force Master Yoda to the conclusion that I was the Dark Lord. There was no way he would miss the significance of such an event, and he would rally the entirety of the Jedi Order against me.

Win or lose, everything now is proceeding exactly as my master planned. I allowed myself a little smirk at how easy the Jedi had fallen into our trap.

A blaster bolt from somewhere struck the tri-horned beast in the neck, killing it instantly. I blinked, trying to figure out where that bolt had come from.

"What's going on?" Gunray asked beside me. Another blaster bolt from a different direction killed the rat lion mid-climb on the pillar that the female Mandalorian was sheltering on top of.

Poggle the Lesser began to speak, clicking rapidly enough it was difficult for me to parse for a moment. Guards and droids surged into the Arena, but that didn't stop a third shot from bringing the large bug creature to collapse in front of Kenobi.

"There are snipers! We need to get out of here and-" Gunray started to turn before he stopped mid-sentence and I heard a familiar voice behind us.

"I don't think you'll be going anywhere." Came the voice of Tanya, causing me to smile in excitement for the well executed surprise reveal.

Turning, I saw that Ms. Kryze is still in her green armor, with a small dent in one side of her helmet suggesting some damage. She held a blaster rifle aimed at Poggle while another Mandalorian in Royal Guard armor pointed a shock staff at Gunray.

This is one surprise after another. I was aware of the Jedi's arrival, but to have Ms. Kryze make an appearance instead of staying hidden is unexpected. I felt a long forgotten thrill at seeing someone surpass my expectations.

"Representative Kryze," I said with a bow, "What pleasure to see you again."

"Count Dooku," she replied, sounding rather sour towards me, "mind explaining to me why my ship was shot out of the sky when I was well within my rights to leave? You owe me a ship."

"The Separatist Council deemed it too much of a risk that you are a potential spy that needed to be stopped. I, of course, raised objections regarding your treatment, which unfortunately were ignored. However, it is good to see that you have survived."

"I very nearly didn't."

"Such are the pitfalls of democracy." I opined. Glancing towards Poggle, I added, "Perhaps we could start negotiations afresh with these new circumstances."

The helmeted Mandalorian never stopped looking at Poggle, keeping the gun level and steady on his head.

"Representative Kryze, don't you think it's a bit extreme to point a weapon at a head of state? After all, you're known for your pacifistic views" I attempted to intervene, trying to calm the situation. One reason was because Poggle was an ally, but the other reason was that I noticed something amiss. Despite her reputation as a pacifist, her grip on the blaster rifle was unwavering and her aim was steady. There was no wavering or slight tremble in her hand, and her aim was true. This raised some questions.

"Pacifism doesn't mean lacking the ability to fight. It means choosing not to initiate violence and avoiding conflict whenever possible. But your Separatist Council started a fight with me when they shot down my ship and attempted to murder my retinue. So I suggest you persuade your Separatist Council here to have my associates released and secure me a new ship to leave this planet. I'll also be taking Kenobi while I'm at it."

Gunray spoke up and said, "You cannot listen to these terrorists, they are holding us hostage while threatening our lives. We can't give them anything. Someone, shoot her or something!"

Tanya's helmet tilted a bit to the side before saying, "Ordo… shut him up for me, would you?"

"Of course, Princess." Without much fanfare, Ordo poked his staff to Gunray, causing him to spasm as electrical currents went through him. Eventually, Gunray collapsed into the arms of his panicked subordinate, who looked back and forth in fear and confusion.

"Hardly the most diplomatic course of action, Princess." I commented absentmindedly.

"We are having a nice and calm negotiation. He wanted to end that negotiation with bloodshed and murder. I think we can both agree it's better for him to not be involved any further."

I chuckled at the humiliation of Nute Gunray. He was certainly one of the more predictable and annoying leaders among the Separatists. One of the many reasons he had managed to survive for so long. "Yes, I suppose you're right about that, despite my reservations." Shaking my head, I turned back to the arena and said, "I suppose I can ask Poggle the Lesser about the release of the prisoners." I approached him and he turned to me, nodding before issuing orders to one of his guards.

The guard flew off, I assume to either relay the message or carry out Tanya's request. I'll have to be cautious in how I handle this situation. If Tanya poses a threat to me, I may have to take action, but if she was just threatening those around me, well I could just play the level-headed politician trying to regain control of the situation.

Turning back towards the Mandalorian I asked, "Is this not a daring move on your part? After all, there are only four of you in total in this arena - two snipers and the two of you trying to rescue your three companions down there. And that is before you attempt to commandeer a ship off this world."

"Boldness is sometimes needed for a quick victory. Better to go for the root of the problem, than to get stuck in the weeds of the supporting units."

"That, I can agree with." A new voice came from the dark hallway behind the balcony, causing nearly everyone's eyes to turn in that direction. I noticed that Tanya stayed focused on Poggle.

"Ah, Master Windu, I was wondering when you were going to make your appearance." I said with a small smile.

"This ends now, Count Dooku. You and your accomplices are under arrest by order of the Republic and the Chancellor." Mace Windu declared, and with that, lightsabers lit up all across the stadium, revealing hundreds of Jedi, exactly as I suspected. Between their lightsabers and what I could sense with the Force, I suspected their numbers were still quite low, only a few hundred, possibly less.

"Oh? I don't think so." I countered with a shake of my head before adding, "You must realize how impossibly outnumbered you are."

"Now hold on here," Tanya spoke up, interrupting the lovely show I was having with a former friend, "you cannot just arrest a head of a foreign state."

"I'm sorry, what?" Mace Windu asked, turning towards her.

"Yes, that does seem to be a rather confusing statement, considering you too are currently threatening the life of a head of a foreign state." I pointed out.

"An aggressive negotiating tactic. The blaster is still set to 'stun.' However, the diplomatic cost of the Jedi attempting to arrest the head of a foreign state is a lot more problematic than me negotiating the release of my subordinates."

Windu glanced at Tanya but never let his focus leave Dooku, "Our actions have been sanctioned by the Office of the Supreme Chancellor."

"Then the Chancellor has overstepped his bounds. Did the Senate vote on this?"

"The Senate has granted him emergency powers for the duration of this crisis involving the Separatist Alliance."

"They what…" Tanya said her rifle finally lowered in disbelief.

"It happened yesterday." Mace Windu informed the group, still holding his lightsaber ready to fight, even though I had yet to even reach for my blade.

Tanya's helmet tilted towards me before saying, "I always knew this war was going to be inevitable, but this is happening a lot faster than I thought it would."

"Yes, war is inevitable." I said with a nod, approving of her thoughts on the matter. "And I'm afraid this little conversation we have been having will have to end with a sour note."

As I said that, the echoing of droid footsteps started to build up everywhere as the droids I had placed around the arena came online and finally went into action. Windu tilted his head to look back at the incoming horde of Super Battle Droids and had to raise his blade to block the fire that was coming at him, being that he was right in the opening of the wall.

The young Royal Guard jumped right out of the way of the fire and Tanya finally aimed her blaster rifle towards me. A mistake I was anticipating. I pulled it out of her hands with a Force pull, tossing it over the edge. "How about you surrender now, Ms. Kryze. I will guarantee your safety," I lied. I actually am planning to have her spirited off towards Sorreno. Perhaps I would have the opportunity to induct the young Princess into my new Order now and not later.

I thought I had disarmed her, but that proved to be false; the girl drew a grenade and threw it into the incoming horde of droids. The grenade released a loud snap and tiny cloud of smoke, the resulting electrical discharge disabled most of the droids at the front, causing their bodies to clutter the floor. Although that only prevented the remaining droids from continuing their advance. The surviving droids still continued their barrage of blaster fire, forcing Windu to jump over the side of the arena wall to escape.

"I'm afraid not, I don't trust your Separatist Council not to execute me while I'm in your custody after what I've seen of its utter farcical dysfunction. Maybe once you get them under control and actually create a respectable Outer Rim government, then we'll talk about basic things like surrender or diplomacy." Tanya said, before activating a jetpack. She crosses above the balcony's entrance and the droids' line of fire. From there, she regrouped with her male companion.

"Regrettable, but we shall be in touch." I called out to her retreating form. Tanya grabbed the Royal Guard, then jetpacked over the side of the arena wall. As far as I'm aware, jetpacks aren't really meant to bear the weight of multiple people, but apparently a controlled descent is within its capabilities.

I shook my head as I saw her choose to go with the Jedi. In the arena below, the Jedi were in a tight formation, at risk of being overwhelmed by the blaster fire of the droids. She would all die under the merciless blaster fire of the droids; it would be a great loss, but what could you do? It also appears that Ms. Kryze retrieved a blaster and made quick use of it. Nearby B1s were eliminated with headshots before she joined the ranks of the Jedi. Droids took note of the pair and several larger turrets slowly retargeted, even while her companion blocked incoming fire with his armor and staff.

Unfortunate that she had chosen her fate and would die with the rest. Turning towards Poggle the Lesser, I asked, "I hope you are well."

He made a few clicks before acknowledging that he was. I turned to Gunray, who was slowly coming back into consciousness. He blinked once and twice and muttered that he was fine before getting up and asking, "Where is that girl? Did we shoot her?"

I chuckled, "Yes, my friend. She is currently being shot at this very moment." I spread my arms expansively, towards the arena, which was now a chaotic battlefield of Jedi with a few Mandalorians. The pair of Mandalorian snipers had abandoned their cover, firing openly into the melee below. The battlefield is a disorganized mess, no lines and no attempts to control, all personal combat, all fighting of desperate nature as more and more droids pour into the arena.

The Jedi were being forced back, they were taking losses now that they were no longer in the stands where they had started. All of them are now in the arena, which was turning into a trap for the Jedi. Droids surrounded them in a killzone, taking up positions in the stands as well as coming in from the various entrances surrounding the arena. Sooner or later a Jedi would make a mistake in their defense, be overwhelmed by the sheer number of bolts, or allow a stray sniper shot through. Jedi force senses were weaker at a large distance, sometimes they wouldn't realize that they were being shot from a distance by sniper droids. Either way they were falling and a pocket near the center that was starting to form which would be overwhelmed soon enough.

At least I thought it would be, before a large freighter flew over the arena and began to descend into it. It is a tight fit, the freighter is just barely able to fit into the arena. Several guns mounted above and below the freighter's main hull rained down fire on the droids in every direction. The freighter's guns were doing a good job of blasting areas of the arena into shards of debris that rained down on droids and Geonotians alike. I noticed that the turrets seemed to favor the Geonosian sonic cannons that were being rolled out, preventing them from damaging the ship.

This freighter is not a design I was familiar with, and it is definitely not Republic as it was far too compact for their usual taste. It reminded me of the Correllian's utilitarian design.

As the vessel slowly rotated, allowing its cannons to fire on areas that were slightly out of its range, a moment before I saw an insignia on the side of the hull that looked like four wings branching from a single point. A faction I am not familiar with, at least not one I had any interest in. Now that interest quickly grew as doors on the bottom side of the ship opened to reveal hundreds of Mandalorians. They fell from the bottom of the ship before engaging their jetpacks to land around the Jedi, providing cover with their own guns and helping to reinforce the line that the Jedi had been building.

"What is going on?!" came the panicked and frightened voice of Gunray.

That caused me to look over at him with a bit of amusement before saying, "War. However, it appears that a new faction has decided to come out and play."

I watched the Mandalorians wearing various colors, who I suspect are mercenaries, the only thing distinguishing them is a set of white stripes on their armor. They begin to gain control of the situation and assist a few wounded Jedi onto ropes that pull them up into the waiting ship above. Some stronger Jedi were using Force jumps to speed up the evacuation by lifting themselves up.

Shaking my head, I turned back towards Gunray and said, "It would appear that they have a Pyrrhic victory today." I turned away from the arena and the remains of dead droids, dead Jedi, as well as a small number of Mandalorians left behind. It's quite apparent that the Jedi had failed in their goals, but now the question is what are they going to do now that they've been forced to retreat? They would have nowhere else to go but orbit, which my ships should be able to deal with. If that vessel tried to escape the system, they were on borrowed time. The Separatists fleet in orbit was interdicting traffic through any of the known trade lanes, they were not going to escape Geonosis.

A guard flew over to Poggle the Lesser and started speaking to him quietly and urgently. Poggle turned to me before turning to me and spoke in his native language, "An unknown fleet of vessels has entered orbit. I am getting reports that they are performing landing operations across the planet, specifically around areas where we have military installations and factories."

"Ah, the Judicial Forces I take it. Most likely some mercenary fleet rented by the Core. We must prepare for the defense of this planet, we cannot let it fall to the Republic."

Poggle nodded before flying off and I turned towards Gunray and said, "It would appear that your options are now completely gone when it comes to how to handle the future. May I assume that you are officially part of the Confederacy at this point?"

Gunray nodded, letting out a sigh before saying, "That appears to be the only option left. Yes, I will contact the ships in orbit to try and engage the Republic fleet."

"Good, follow me, we will go to the command and control tower. It's already been prepared for a siege, from there we can oversee the battle and retake control of the system."

I turned and started heading towards the exit, not checking to make sure they were following me. I'm sure they were cowed enough at this point that they would do as I say. Whatever independence they thought they had achieved, was now firmly in my control.

Geonosis, Crusader-class Freighter "Peacekeeper"

Vai-Viktis Vizla

"Good work, Jedi." I said, patting the shoulder of Anakin in an unfamiliar fashion. I was trying to pretend that I didn't really know them. I guess I didn't actually know them well, but White Silver had only 'officially' met Anakin back on Tatooine.

He nodded as he held on to the controls of the ship and started to maneuver it to the west, away from the fighting that we had just dropped into the middle of.

The whole operation had been pretty slapdash, we had arrived in orbit about a half hour ago and discovered plans to execute Tanya at the Royal Colosseum. Not exactly the news I was expecting to hear, but I improvised as best I could.

I wasn't sure if Anakin was always this mission-focused or if the threat to Kenobi was supplying the extra motivation. He seemed determined to reach the Arena Colosseum as quickly as possible, navigating the heavy freighter through the treacherous terrain of Geonosis.

"This way, Master Anakin." The droid indicated one direction around several large rock outcroppings that all looked similar to me. "We must be very careful with these automated Geonosian controllers. There are a lot of anti-air defenses and they can be quite temperamental," C-3PO explained, before quickly resuming speaking in clicks towards the comms.

"Okay, okay already! I see it" Anakin shouted sharply to C-3PO. I held onto a bar to brace herself as the freighter began to enter a sharp twist. The freighter made ominous groaning noises, the sound of metal in agony, and I suspected that the engineers had never meant the freighter to be piloted in such a manner. "Almost there," Anakin muttered to himself. I saw the arena's bulky rock structure come into view. The freighter maneuvered aggressively, threading the needle past several rock structures in order to get to the arena as quickly as possible. He even threaded the needle on getting inside the arena's skylight.

As soon as the freighter switched to a more controlled descent into the Arena, I left the cockpit and approached the group of Mandalorian officers towards the rear. "Mandalorians," I began, my voice ringing with authority, "we are here to rescue as many as we can, but our priority is Princess Kryze. She must be rescued at all costs."

"Lots of Jedi down there", A dark haired Mandalorian commented, sliding his silver helmet on. One of the other men spat at that comment.

"None of that now. Their money is as good as yours. Don't let them get in your way, and they can hop aboard for a ride if they want." I then proceeded to give a more detailed rundown of the mission, highlighting key points and strategies. After the briefing, I left the Mandalorian officers to manage their platoon and do their jobs.

The mission was a success, we broke through the arena defenses and dropped men in the middle of that arena to engage with the enemy. As far as I could tell, we only suffered about light casualties, with the worst being wounded before being evacuated by their squadmates, before we made our escape. All in all, a successful rescue. Now the question was, had we managed to save Tanya and the others?

I strode back towards the main hold of the ship where most of the people are gathered. I had joined the rest in the drop and even had taken out a few droids myself, but I was still unsure about the whereabouts and status of all of my comrades. Tanya was my primary concern, and I hoped she had not been left behind. We had secured "Tanya", Khae, the handmaiden in disguise, but I couldn't reveal the deception nor spend much time checking for the real Tanya aboard. However, if she was still on the planet, then the chaos we had caused during the rescue mission may provide another opportunity to locate and retrieve her before our departure from Geonosis. I would really prefer that she was on board though.

My thoughts were firmly interrupted as I was practically tackled by a girl in brown armor. Khae was on top of me pretty much hugging me and pressing her helmet to my own, saying repeats of "Thankyouthankyous".

She finally broke and said, "Thank you for saving me again, White Silver."

Thank Manda, I'm wearing a helmet because my face was absolutely blushing out at this point underneath. Girl had just shared a long Keldabe kiss with me and was acting like it was nothing. And there was absolutely nothing I could say to prevent it from happening again, considering I knew that she had already done that with Tanya and she hadn't stopped her back then. Although this time it was apparently ten times more public, as there are several mercenaries laughing around us looking at the scene with bemused smiles and a few wolf whistles. I can just feel Tabi is laughing his ass off at this.

Taking a calming breath I thought about, what would Tanya do? Then I improvised. Grabbing her by the back of the neck I drew her into another Keldabe kiss and said, "I could not let my first kiss die on some red desert hellhole now could I." in a low tone that only she could hear. This time when I broke the kiss she seemed so over stunned by the effect of it that she did not argue as I said, "Now I need to investigate the rest of the individuals here to make sure we got everyone out. Mind giving me a minute?"

She nodded as she seemed unsure of our own footing, like someone had given her some spices to sniff before going into combat and she had a proper case of hetikles, or nose burn. Now that the situation is apparently handled, I moved on. My shoulder cape flutters as I move through the hold past the few mercenaries that saw that giving wolf whistles cheers, I find the majority of the Jedi near the back of the ship.

There sat Master Kenobi next to two other Jedi. I believe one of them is Mace Windu though I was not very familiar with him, since I never met him personally, but I have heard of him. I found Tanya, in her familiar green armor, sitting on a crate across from the Jedi. Captain Struc and Ordo are on either side of her as they engage in what appears to be a bit of a fierce conversation.

"We need to go back and finish this. Why are we fleeing, Representative Kryze?" Windu said, sounding rather accusatory as he looked at Tanya.

"I recommended we retreat because we were surrounded. Yes, we have a ship with several laser cannons that could allow us to turn the tide temporarily, but they have enough droids to drown us in bodies before we can make a dent in their number. While you only have a fraction of the Jedi you started with. Don't you think it is better to cut your losses before you are wiped out?"

"She has a point, Master Windu." Kenobi said, "We were on our last legs there, if they had not interfered we were probably not going to make it out of there alive. There is also the fleet in orbit that could come down and overwhelm us if we stayed too long. A freighter is no match against a fleet of warships."

Windu let out a deep breath, his frustration palpable. "I am aware of that, but we were so close. If we had managed to secure Count Dooku's, this war could have been resolved before it had a chance to fully ignite."

Tanya's response was dismissive. She rolled her eyes, then removed her helmet, revealing her face and fixing Windu with a piercing gaze.

"You're not grasping the full picture, Master Windu. This conflict has been brewing for generations. Decapitating the leadership is not going to be enough. This war is going to go on until the planets that have rebelled have been conquered. It doesn't matter if their leadership has been captured or not, they can be replaced if needed."

"And why would you say that?" the bald Jedi Master asked, raising an eyebrow at Tanya's conclusion.

"It's quite simple, Count Dooku already said that there is already a command structure in place for a line of succession in the form of a Separatist Council. They likely already have droid armies deployed across multiple fronts along Outer Rim. Their leadership may not be the best but you don't need good leadership when your soldiers will follow any order and fight to the death. The Outer Rim contains numerous planets that are not satisfied with how the Republic is ignoring their problems and does not want to be part of the Republic anymore. Since they know that peaceful secession is unlikely, they built armies, to both protect them from pirates as well as the Judicial and Jedi that the Republic will send to keep them in the Republic. Once war is declared, it's more likely than not that the Republic is going to scramble for forces as the Confederacy begins to take bites out of its peripherals as they slowly push further in."

Kenobi and Windu exchanged looks before Mace said, "The Republic will not be scrambling too much for that. A military force has been gathered and is on its way."

Tanya looked at them like they were growing a third arm before saying, "How did they gather a military force in, what, twenty-four hours since the Chancellor was given emergency powers? You would need to strip every Self-Defense Force from the entire Core of most of its defensive elements, and I don't think they would agree to that."

Kenobi spoke up at that point saying, "The bounty hunter Jango Fett was contracted by a Jedi ten years ago to produce a Clone Army for the Republic. The Jedi said he saw through a vision that they would be needed in the future, according to what I have been able to uncover."

The look on Tanya's face was incredulous as she said, "The Jedi made a secret Clone Army of Mandalorians? Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?"

"We were also not aware of this until very recently." Windu said, shaking his head at the comment continuing, "And it's not like we can disarm them even if we wanted to, but it fell into our lap and it is of need. The Force provided for us what we needed, it is that simple."

Tanya seemed completely stunned as she sat there looking at the pair before finally saying, "This is going to be a diplomatic nightmare. How are you guys going to pay this army? What sector are they considered residents of? Are they Mandalorian? Have they been trained in the Mandalorian ways?"

Kenobi shrugged before saying, "You would have to ask Jango Fett himself, he is still currently missing as far as I'm aware."

"He's in Mandalore." Mace Windu answered, "Apparently, he was given a good deal to turn in vital evidence for Senator Amidala's attempted assassination; he is currently in protective custody on the planet."

"Hmm, I wonder what that good deal was?" he asked, looking straight at Tanya.

Tanya blinked before waving it away. "I found his missing family member for him in exchange for him providing evidence on who hired him. His sister was not receiving the treatment she needed in a mental health organization on Coruscant. Thus I decided to move her to a facility in Mandalore that would do better for her mental health. He's a follower of the True Mandalorian way, so family is everything to them."

"Hmm, creative and non-violent. I approve." Kenobi said with a nod.

Tanya shrugged before saying, "I might know how to use a weapon such as a blaster, but I'm a diplomat first. Negotiation is my weapon of choice. Which is why I'll be glad when we are off-world and heading home. So I can get back to negotiating and figuring out how this Mandalorian clone situation affects the Mandalorian sector."

I spoke up at that point saying, "While I do applaud your careful attention to the needs and rights of Mandalorians across the Galaxy, Representative, I don't believe that it would affect us at all. These clones are raised by the Republic after all, merely a facsimile of a Mandalorian, they are not real Mandalorians." Several of the mercs around us nodded at my assertion.

Tanya turned to me before shaking her head saying, "If they've been trained in the Mandalorian ways by Jango Fett, there is a good chance that they will see Mandalore as one of their true homes. This means that we could have a huge influx of population when this is all over. Which could be good or bad, depending on the situation of the Mandalore sector when that happens."

Tanya seemed to finally realize that I was in the White Silver costume before standing up and giving a bow, "You must be White Silver, you have my gratitude for the rescue."

"It was no problem, Representative. Kryze." I said, giving a bow of my own before reaching out at my side and taking off the silver saber there. "I've been meaning to track you down anyway, this sword I acquired while conquering Gargon belongs to your family and I had no way of getting it into your hands until this moment. Please take it."

This has been something we had discussed once or twice if we ever had the opportunity to get the sword properly back to the family. According to Tanya, it would be awkward for her to suddenly acquire it after the publicly broadcasted capture of the weapon from Gerr. So we had already concocted a scheme - if we ever had to have Tanya and White Silver in the same room, I would hand it over to her as a way of implying that White Silver was trying to ingratiate herself to the Kryze family. There is also the fact that Silver can't just meet with Satine without being imprisoned.

"Oh, thank you." Tanya said, seeming to be acting very confused by that as she picked up the sword and acting if she was unsure what to do with it and handed it to Ordo, "Hold on to that for me, please."

"Of course, Representative." he said with a nod.

Windu stood up and moved in front of me asking, "So you're the writer of the Silver Codex. I expected someone more seasoned."

I offered a small smile and nodded my head in response, "Many made that mistake, as that was my intention. I wrote the Codex with a perspective other than my own, partly to give the impression of maturity and wisdom."

"Hmm, well I guess a congratulation is in order." Windu said, holding out a hand which I took and we both gave a shake.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Master Mace Windu of the Jedi Order. If I may inquire, what exactly is your plan and how did you come across the information regarding Geonosis and your wayward Representative?"

"My plan? Well my plan was to ingratiate myself with Clan Kryze. To show that the Silvers are loyal to the current order, and that we are here to keep the peace. And I have agents in interesting places." Thank goodness Tanya had given me a book to read of ways to sidestep giving a proper answer. This was complicated stuff and I couldn't exactly tell him that 'Oh, Tanya had called me and asked me to give her a hand.' This has to be our official first meeting after all.

The Jedi Master was giving me a look, as if he was trying to pierce some sort of veil, and I just stared back, trying not to look cowed by his intense gaze.

After a bit he finally just nodded and turned his head back to the others saying, "The Order may . . " there was a pause as he collected his thoughts, "we need to deal with this quickly so that the Separatists cannot escape the planet. If they do, they will only cause rampant mayhem and chaos with their army across the entire galaxy."

"Why is Count Dooku involved then?" Tanya asked as she continued to sit on the box, "He's a Jedi Master, is he not? A former one even, why would he get involved in this mess?"

"He may have been a Jedi Master, but as I stood there on that balcony across from him, I could feel the Dark Side radiating from him. He is falling to the Dark side, as to how far has he fallen? It is still up to investigation, but I do not trust his claims that this is simply on the behalf of the Outer Rim systems. There's an ulterior motive, one that we don't know yet." Windu said with a grim nod.

Tanya just looked at him before shaking her head, muttering low under her breath, "Kriffing space wizards."

Before I could try and add my opinion on that subject, Padme, who had been in the front of the ship pushed her way through several Mandalorians and Jedi survivors who had gathered nearby. "Silver, we've been contacted by the Republic fleet in orbit and told to land not too far from here."

"What?" Tanya asked from where she was sitting. "Padme? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be anywhere else but here?"

"Well, yes, but I heard you were in trouble, so I came."

Tanya turned to look at me and said, "You let a senator, with a threat on her life, join a military expedition?"

Smiling under my helmet, I said, "Well, if she wants to be an adventurer, maybe she should join us Mandalorians. That's more than acceptable after all, plus I think she'd look good in a set of Beskar armor."

That resulted in most of the Mandalorians in the ship laughing and Tanya just palming her face.

I turned to Padme and asked, "This Republic fleet, who exactly is in charge of it and why are they telling us to land?"

"From what I understand from the communication we received, Jedi Grand Master Yoda is in charge of it and they've begun landing operations in several areas across the planet. We've been told to go to the closest base, which is near a landing field for several Confederacy ships. Apparently they're going to prevent the ship and its droid army from escaping off-world."

"Must be that Clone Army you mentioned." I said, looking over towards Kenobi and Mace Windu, "Hmm, there was some concern about evacuating, but I see no reason why we shouldn't meet up with the Jedi Grandmaster. We can turn over his Jedi to him to do with as he pleases."

Kenobi chuckled, "Most likely we'll be given orders to hunt Count Dooku before he escapes this planet."

"A dangerous prey, I wish you all luck." I said before starting to walk towards the front of the ship.

"Hmm, correct me if I'm wrong, but these are mercenaries right? Not Mandalorian agents of the sector?" Obi-Wan said with a questioning look towards me.

I nodded my helmet saying, "That's correct, all with years of experience in combat. Why?"

Obi-Wan said, "That experience would be very appreciated. The clones have never been in real combat before, and they might be able to survive a bit better with your assistance and leadership."

I chuckled before saying, "Doesn't that also include you too, Master Jedi?"

Obi-Wan smiled before saying, "I won't say no to that either, as our experience with military matters are not exactly as extensive."

Huh, this was a bit of an issue. On one hand, my mission is finished as I rescued Tanya. On the other hand, the Jedi had just called for aid from Mandalorians and they were probably going to pay us pretty nicely. This would be helpful with Tanya's plans when it came to trying to improve our rocky, historical relations. What was it that she always said? "Whenever the Mandalorians and the Jedi work together, things tend to work out well for the Mandalorians."

Looking at Tanya, I saw that she seemed to be thinking the same thing I was. Parsing out what was the best option in this situation. So I went with my gut and what I thought she would have chosen.

I looked at the Jedi and nodded, "Hmm, how about it boys?" I yelled while looking around the room full of Mandalorians. "Care for another scrap? I'm sure the Republic would add on to the pay if we helped in this little tussle."

There was a resounding amount of head nods with Mandalorian saying "I'm in", "seems like a good fight", and various such words.

"There you have it. Looks like we will be joining in this fight, as mercenaries. Might as well find out how good these cloned Mandalorian is." I said looking at the Jedi. I glanced back at Tanya who gave a subtle nod, "Don't push your luck though. We're only going to help as long as we're getting paid. If the Republic does not come through, don't expect us to come running to bail you guys again."

"Understandable." Tanya said with a curt nod before saying "Good luck, White Silver you'll need it for the combat you're going into."

"Don't need luck when I have my skills, oh, and this bunch at my side too I guess." I said with the most confident air I could put on before turning and heading back to the front of the ship.

This was not in the original plan, but it looks like Tanya isn't against the idea of helping out the Jedi. It's likely that even if she's trying to play it calm and cool about keeping Mandalore neutral, she has told me that if we do get involved it would be better to be on the Republic's side as they are usually the ones expected to win. Especially after the Separatist tried to have her executed.

Geonosis, Crusader-class "Peacekeeper"

Tanya Kryze

This day just keeps on giving me unexpected turns. The first was the whole colosseum mess, which went more or less as expected. After a little bit of hacking into their localnet using my vambrace, I knew they were going to try and kill Kenobi. What was interesting was that they also intended to execute me, even though they didn't have me in custody. This obviously meant that they probably took my handmaiden and mistook her for me. That's why I staged the false rescue - to buy them time and gather everyone in one place for extraction since I knew "White Silver" was on her way.

I had no foreknowledge of the Jedi's arrival nor much of what else had transpired so far, including the fact Padme and Anakin joined in. What's important is myself and those that were brought here that managed to escape the fighting at the colosseum relatively unscathed. Ordo looked like he'd need to shine his armor to get some blaster marks off it, but otherwise was fine. The others were in similar condition and as long as things kept going our way, we would all be okay in the end. However, I am a bit worried about the fact that we were now being drawn into an actual battlefield.

Apparently, there is an entire Clone Army that Jango never mentioned. I'll have to discuss this small oversight with him when I have the opportunity, although I can probably guess that he is under some form of NDA so I doubt I'll get anything out of it. The political ramifications of this new military force, however, would be extremely frustrating to deal with. The economic ramifications, on the other hand, may not be as severe since the Mandalore sector has a bit of a manpower deficit; Mandalore had thousands of practically virgin worlds. However, efforts to attract colonists to establish populations have been hindered by the tendency of minor clans to wipe out entire settlements in raids, steal anything of value, and kill everyone to eliminate any evidence. Although it has been many decades since such incidents have occurred, all it takes is one story for the galaxy to remember. So bringing in some of these clones after the war is not that bad of an idea, if properly managed.

There is a concern about the influx of large amounts of the same genes into the population, but this could be avoided if the clones marry outside the Mandalorian sector before they return to their 'homeland.' Near-human partners should result in divergent enough to prevent any unfortunate clustering, but only time would tell on that matter. Matchmaking with genetics is not something to be taken lightly, but with the large number of related individuals, it is a necessary consideration.

Part of me wanted to flee this situation and get back to Coruscant as fast as possible to avoid getting involved any further. Unfortunately, the other part of me knew that the Jedi were going to take an army that had never seen combat into a war. They're likely to have no idea what they are doing, resulting in massive casualties, unless there is someone there to grab the wheel to prevent them from making basic mistakes.

Politically, I couldn't do much as I was merely a Representative, not even a Senator. However, as a Mandalorian, particularly as White Silver, I had the advantage of being able to bring in a room full of experienced veterans from various conflicts to offer to the Jedi.

This was the reason I didn't make a big fuss when Vai agreed to help. It was a bit of a risky card to play, but it was necessary to reduce casualties and prevent the deaths caused by incompetent leaders.

The other big surprise that has been weighing on my mind is the recent discovery that Yoda is the Grand Master of the Jedi. I was aware that he was a high ranking member, given his age, although he never mentioned his title before. "Grand Master" - isn't that what the leader of the Jedi Order is called? Having a connection to the Grand Master of the Jedi Order could only be a good thing. If I could talk to him, I could try to persuade the Jedi to slow down on their invasion plan and to approach their search for Count Dooku with greater caution, conserving the lives of clones being sent to the front lines. As far as I am concerned, they are not fully considering the consequences of their actions. Rushing headlong into a well-entrenched enemy position is never a good idea, and the Jedi seem to be doing just that.

My thoughts on the matter of Yoda being the Grand Master of the Jedi and of the Jedi's strategy would have to wait. I would need to first secure an opportunity to speak with him, which wouldn't be possible until we reached the landing area of the Clone Army.

Sitting near the back of the Crusader cargo ship, one of the designs I had approved a year ago, I wondered how I was going to handle this predicament. The war has apparently started today, and I no longer have the two-year waiting period I thought I had to build up Mandalore's defenses. I need to get back to Mandalore as soon as possible and draft a defense plan before it could be invaded. Thankfully, Mandalore would probably be able to establish neutrality quite quickly and, hopefully, draw in other systems that didn't want to take part in this conflict. However, I was concerned about how Aunt Satine would react to my involvement in this situation. I doubted she would be pleased that I was gallivanting across the galaxy and being a part of a galactic war.

To say that the situation was complicated is an understatement. I was not responsible for the start of the war, but I was present when it broke out. I was simply trying to prevent Mandalore's name from being, in any way, directly connected to the Separatists and Republic's conflict. Nice work on that, Jango. Because now that idea is kind of thrown out the window because there are now Mandalorians en masse serving the Republic.

While we were unaware of Jango's involvement in the Clone Army until today, people would undoubtedly associate the clones with Mandalorians. This could result in negative opinions towards us once the conflict ended, particularly among those in the Outer Rim who had personally fought against the clones. The origin of the clones being from a Mandalorian would also cast Mandalore as being aligned with the Republic, undermining our claim of neutrality.

This was going to be a political nightmare to deal with, and the fact that Jango didn't inform me about the army he helped populate only added to the potential scale of the crisis. It was likely that citizens would attempt to sue Jango for his role in the creation of this Clone Army, and here we were currently offering Jango protection on Mandalore. These connections between the Clone Army and Mandalore would only create more animosity as the war progressed.

Hmm, perhaps I should play up the aspect that the Clone Army was created by the orders of a Jedi. I would definitely consult with the senator when I have the opportunity, and try to persuade him to highlight this fact to make it clear that the clones were created by the Jedi and employed by the Republic, and are not Mandalorian citizens. We could even make a few clones attempt to take citizenship tests to demonstrate their lack of knowledge about Mandalore. It would be mild sabotage to their reputation as soldiers to reveal the gap between them and authentic Mandalorian, but it could provide Mandalore a political exit to part of this mess. Hopefully, when clones did make it to the Mandalore sector in peacetime, they could probably look past the manipulation and see the political requirements of the time.

I need to add researching the status of the clones to my growing list of tasks to organize when I return to Mandalore. I sighed, and was about to stand up when I felt the cargo ship start to descend. I grabbed one of the bars to steady myself as the ship touched down on the planet's surface.

As soon as the ship touched down, the Mandalorians led by White Silver and the remaining Jedi started to disembark. The red light of the sun poured in through the doors, illuminating the interior of the ship. I remained seated, watching as everyone stepped out, before finally standing up and stretching my neck. Captain Struc approached me and asked, "What's the plan, ma'am?" I turned my gaze towards him, already forming a strategy.

"The plan is to gather information, speak with the Grandmaster of the Jedi, and bide our time until we can leave this planet." I answered as I walked down the ramp.

"Impressive," I muttered under my breath as we reached the bottom of the ramp. Captain Struc looked around as well and nodded in agreement.

"These transports will definitely come in handy," he said as we approached a group of soldiers. I nodded in silent agreement.

Soldiers, dressed in real uniforms with more armor and less fabric, were walking about in an organized manner as they loaded onto unfamiliar transports. The cockpit configuration of these transports reminded me of a Hind gunship, but the ball turrets on the sides made me think of a Flying Fortress. Regardless, these transports looked like they could both withstand and inflict a substantial amount of damage.

I watched as several Jedi boarded the transport gunships, accompanied by troops, and took off towards the frontlines, which I could barely make out in the distance. In addition to the gunships, larger versions of the transports, carrying a six-legged walker ground assault vehicle are also in the air. Looking up, I also spotted some cruisers hovering up above. It looks like they were also providing artillery support as well as launching more of the transport gunships.

Someone had invested in quality equipment that works together cohesively, based on the combined arms doctrine I saw. I hoped it was good equipment, and if Jango had any input on the army's equipment, I had no doubt that it would be excellent quality. It is definitely something that he would have given his all to ensure. I made my way through the throngs of troops to a central area where a makeshift command center had been established.

There were several more soldiers with yellow markings talking to each other, and I could hear Jango's distinct voice intermixed with the little green Jedi Master, who was actually a Grandmaster all this time, speaking to them in nearly fluent Basic.

I had to do a double take. There were a couple instances where he would use his normal intonation of adding words backwards. But here Yoda seemed to be trying to be extremely clear for the clones, which was unexpected.

Yoda was not the only notable present, as White Silver was standing there as well, along with Kenobi, Anakin, and Padme.

"Ahh, Representative Kryze, it warms my heart to see you, it does." The little Jedi said with a warm smile that felt a lot more genuine than most lately.

I cracked a small smile in return, "Same to you, Grand Master Yoda."

The little green alien chuckled, "Someone finally revealed my secret, I see."

"More of an accidental comment, but yes." I said with a smile. Looking around I said, "Nice army you got here. Rather quickly deployed as well."

"Indeed, indeed." Yoda agreed, letting his smile fade. "Time is of the essence, it is. Count Dooku has left the Light and joined the Dark side, and we must prevent him from establishing a new Sith Empire before it is too late."

"Feels like we're jumping to conclusions there." I said, but Yoda quickly dismissed my doubts as he shook his head.

"Train for this, I was. Notice I do, he has fallen and we cannot let him build a Sith Order. That is what must happen now." he emphasized, striking his cane on the ground. I stepped back, realizing the gravity of the situation.

"Understood, Grandmaster. I will leave the Jedi matters to you," I said, acknowledging the importance of their mission. "However, as a Representative, I must ensure the safety of my guards and find a way off-planet as soon as possible. My Government wishes to remain neutral in this conflict, and it is not appropriate for us to be involved in this war."

"Indeed, best it would be. Jedi matter, this conflict is. We will handle it, we shall."

Nodding my head, I was about to say something more when a clone trooper rushed up and said, "General, Count Dooku has been spotted in sector 7."

"That's not too far from here." Kenobi observed, gazing at a nearby screen. He then looked towards a waiting gunship and said, "I'm afraid the two of us must take our leave. We must capture Dooku now and prevent his escape. Good luck in finding your way off-world, Ms. Kryze."

I nodded and replied, "Thank you. Good luck in apprehending Count Dooku."

Kenobi was first off heading towards the shuttle, Anakin followed a moment later, after sharing some sort of look with Padme.

"And where do you think you're going?" I asked Padme, placing my hand on her shoulder as she started to follow Anakin towards the shuttle.

"Well, I thought maybe I could help?" Padme replied, sounding increasingly uncertain now.

"Help arrest a Jedi Master, possibly a Sith Lord that can lift stuff with a gesture, with a possibly million-strong droid army at his disposal?" I asked, giving her a skeptical look.

Padme looked back in the direction of the departing gunship and sighed. "Yeah, that's probably not the best idea." she admitted.

Yoda had been occupied with the clones and hadn't seen that look of longing in Padme, but I did and I was thoroughly concerned at that. What had those two been up to while on Tatooine alone? I have a bad feeling about this.

After the clone is dismissed, I see Yoda have stepped aside to speak with Silver. I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but Silver first seemed uncomfortable, then looked as stiff as a board. I suspected that Yoda had revealed his suspicion that Vai wasn't the real Silver. Despite his determination to find a potential Sith on the planet, it wouldn't be surprising if Yoda made a joke at Vai's expense. Personally, I was looking forward to teasing both Vai and Yoda separately about each of their side of the conversation with the other celebrity. Knowing Yoda, he would approve of such harmless fun.

I watched as a gunship approached the command center, and Yoda boarded it with his cane in hand, heading off to the front lines. Despite his advanced age and small stature, I hoped that he had received some military training and was simply being relocated to a safer and more effective command center. I couldn't imagine him being able to handle the physical demands of combat, but I hoped that he could still contribute in some way. I knew Jedi can do amazing things with the Force, but historical records usually note their feats in their prime; I don't know how much age can affect a Jedi, but I hoped it isn't too much.

I turned my attention back towards the nearest clone and asked, "Excuse me, what's your name? I have some questions and I need answers"

The clone trooper nodded and saluted, saying, "It would be my honor, Representative. I am Captain CT-7567."

I nodded my head, avoiding showing the twinge of sadness on my face, it was inhuman that these people have been given numbers instead of names. Instead, I just moved on with, "Well CT-7567, I need to know what's the connection between the Clone Army and Mandalorians, beyond Jango Fett."

The clone nodded before saying, "Jango was one of our many trainers. He may have given us his DNA, but he also brought in a unit of Mandalorians to train us. Some take to the culture like fish and water, others don't".

I nodded, to stall and process that bombshell. The involvement of multiple Mandalorians in the training was both good and, potentially, very bad. On the one hand, it indicated a secret network of Mandalorians implicated in the creation of the Clone Army. Thank you again, Jango, I'm sure I'm not going to recommend that you be put under house arrest and permanent surveillance for involving Mandalore in some secret galaxy-spanning conspiracy. The good is the divide between clones that embraced Mandalorian culture and those that did not, could potentially lead to a division even after the war. This could at least ensure some genetic security, as those who chose to embrace Mandalore would be distinct from those who did not.

"Very well, please explain to me in detail about the training you received, the duration of your training, and any other relevant information about the Clone army as efficiently as possible." Clinically, I instructed the Captain, CT-7567, to continue expanding on the details.

Hopefully this conversation will keep Padme away from rushing into the ongoing conflict. As a Republic senator, she needs to have a comprehensive understanding of how the army was created, how capable the forces were, and how the army was remunerated in the future.

As I listened to Captain CT-7567's description of a fairly standard training regime that wouldn't look out of place in this sci-fi setting, I wondered about their names. Finally, I asked "Captain CT-7567, why do you have numbers as your designation instead of a proper name?"

"Ah, you see, the Cloners on Kamino view us more as a product to be manufactured in fulfillment of a contract to the Republic, rather than individuals. As a result, we were instructed to use numerical designations instead of names."

'Biological slave droids. Oh, that's. just. wonderful.' I thought. This situation was growing more complex by the moment. The Jedi had created a race of sentient bio-slaves, based on Mandalorians, to fight their wars and occupy distant worlds. This was sure to cause a major uproar among the Mandalorians, who would be insulted that their people were used as the basis for a slave army. Even I was mildly disturbed by the idea that these clones were essentially biological droids, used as slaves. The thought that no one was planning to pay them for their service to the Republic was equally distressing. I knew I had to find a way to get the Republic to recognize these clones as people, not just flesh-and-blood droids, and compensate them fairly for their service to the Republic.

Alternatively, the thought that the clones might have been reduced to mere biological droids was a chilling one. Pushing through that possible horror, I knew that I had to do more research to assess their condition and determine the extent to which their sapiency had been stripped away by these Cloners. Hopefully the Senate would pursue their own investigation into the clones' origins as well, but I didn't have much hope for a quick outcome.

Ugh, this trip is a nightmare, I hate everything about this trip. The situation on Mandalore is becoming increasingly complicated, with the sector likely to become a battleground between two major galactic powers, each armed with an almost endless supply of troops. Even if we tried to negotiate our way out of it, the Galaxy now had a new subculture of Mandalorians to worry about.

Shaking my head, I dismissed Captain CT-7567 and walked back to the ship, accompanied by my guards and Padme. I took a seat inside the freighter that White Silver had brought, and let out a sigh as the deafening sound of an army in motion faded inside the confines of the freighter.

"Do you think Anakin and Obi-Wan's will be okay?" Padme asked as she sat beside me.

I nodded my head saying, "I'm sure they're fine. After all, Obi-Wan has defeated a Sith before and Anakin is, well, Anakin."

"Yes, I hope so." she said, her voice tense. This confirmed my suspicion that there was something going on, but it was not my concern at the moment. My main issue now was how to fight this war without actually fighting, and protect Mandalore from being caught in the crossfire.