Savage-Time Chapter 19 (Patreon)

Mon Mothma

Trading weapons and smuggling foodstuffs and medicine wasn’t what being a Senator was about but there was a kind of poetic justice in using the means that caused so much harm to the galaxy to do good where it was most needed. Strown around her office were reports and notes about her operation, Mon was also thinking of new ways to get past several new obstacles and plans for the making of new hyperspace routes.

It pained Mon to do things like these behind her friend’s backs not only because they would be appalled by the apparent war profiteering but the reason behind it, as a prominent proponent of democracy Mon knew the signs of a decaying government and the Republic was a dying beast.

She had seen the signs first when system after system started abandoning the Republic decrying the unfairness of being beholden to a government that didn’t act to protect the interest of those worlds, then there was the fact that Palpatine kept getting more and more power, the man could spout all the platitudes and promises he wanted but Mon wouldn’t believe him until she saw tangible actions.

That didn’t mean there was nothing to be done. Apart from the humanitarian efforts involved in her shady dealings, Mon was also preparing the seeds of a new Republic, she had people loyal to the idea of the republic and what it should stand for and not the system that they currently had, men and women who were training to fight tyranny in whatever form it might appear all in the guise of raising defenses for her planet.

“Senator!” one of her aides came into the room looking as if he had seen a ghost, the idea that she could have been discovered passed through her mind, but it was impossible, Mon had made sure that those in her confidence wouldn’t say anything about her involvement “The Kaminoan representative is dead!”

“What?! Who is taking credit for it?” the last thing anyone needed right now was a political assassination, already the fragile peace they had managed to achieve was breaking apart since the CIS sent a statement in which they blamed the death of San Hill on Republic agents.

“It was some radical that ran away ranting about ‘greedy Kaminoans’ and ‘divine justice’. The investigation is still ongoing, and the suspect wasn’t apprehended yet but prime minister Lama Su has arrived in Coruscant for further negotiations in regards to the price of the clones”

Mon knew that she could use this to her advantage if the Senate became worried about further attacks on the politicians and other nominal representatives of the Republic then they might decide to reduce the size of their purchase leaving the Kaminoans with a surplus that Mon might be able to acquire.

“Get me a meeting with Lama Su as soon as he finishes his discussion with the Chancellor or whatever committee they assign the task of negotiating, make sure that it’s as discreet as possible”

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Darth Maul

It didn’t take long for Maul to understand why his brother enjoyed the attitude of Grakkus, the slug was duplicitous and unrepentant about it, in a way Maul could appreciate the way the Hutt spoke without reservation or care it was refreshing to hear someone so honest, however, that wouldn’t stop Maul from killing him if he tried to pull the same thing he tried on Savage.

Maul had told the slug as much, Grakkus had only laughed and offered more food to him, his guards had a different opinion and tried to be intimidating but nothing could hide the feelings of fear they carried around.

Right now Maul had other concerns, like showing his recruits how to attack, the Jedi hammered too much restraint into the reflexes of his new students as they instinctively move to defend rather than to attack when presented with an opportunity. They moved sloppily as they were unaccustomed to the weight of the vibroblades but Maul could see the potential they had, in no time he would make them stronger than Jedi Knights.

“Kalifa, you joined us because you didn’t want to be afraid anymore, didn’t you?” the question made the panting girl look up from the floor and her trembling legs to answer.

“Yes Master” it was a paradoxical reason as she feared Maul just as much or perhaps even more than she used to fear the lizards that hunted her, the insidious nature of the Dark Side made it seem only natural that she followed him even if she was afraid but within that fear lay the hope for a future filled only with bravery and that is all Maul needed to mold her as he pleased.

“Then why are you so afraid to attack, show me the courage that made you take your first steps on this path, show me the will to act that you craved so much that you even sold one of your friends to a Hutt. I want you to attack!”

Anger and shame wafted from her body, the anger lit up the spark that was needed to start her charge and the shame burned the fear and inspired her into action.

The tip of the blade was a hairbreadth from touching the floor telegraphing the swing she was about to make towards his face, Maul sidestepped the incoming attack and at the same time grabbed the edge with the tips of his fingers with a little augmentation from the Force he easily pulled the blade from her grasp and lets it fall.

Now devoid of a weapon Kalifa launched herself at Maul to his approval, she kicked some rubble at his face as a distraction before delivering several punches in rapid succession to Maul’s midsection, he was impressed with the strength of the girl, but it was not enough to even make him flinch.

A warning flashes through Maul’s mind and his body automatically moves aside the boy grins at him as he charges with his sword, Jinx for all his apparent happiness is an addict, the Twi’lek craves freedom like someone from Tatooine craves water and he has taken it upon himself to prove his freedom by setting no limits to what he can or can’t do.

Despite the apparent aggressiveness, Jinx lacks the will to follow through, and nowhere is it more evident than now, as his surprise attack fails Jinx moves back to wait for another opportunity instead of helping Kalifa and creating a new one.

“Decisions have consequences and if you rather not suffer them then you shouldn’t act so recklessly in your pursuit of greater freedom” Jinx barely has time to open his mouth before he falls into Maul’s telekinetic grip, Maul wastes no time and slams the Twi’lek against the floor and walls before letting him fall.

Maul is pleasantly surprised as he feels the emotions in the mind of the boy, there is no fear there simply wariness and a desire so great for power that makes even Maul grin.

Kalifa now has her weapon back and prepares herself for the retaliation that is sure to come, the still grinning Maul cracks the floor as he uses a single leg for impulse, and soon he is in front of her. She tries to surprise him with some wild swings to no avail and soon Maul’s fists relieve her of any hope she had at avoiding pain.

“I can feel the anger you have, the hate. Use them!” Maul screams at her and it bears fantastic results, with a scream of her own Kalifa sends Maul a Force Push stronger than any she had done before, it was strong enough to make him dodge.

“I-I did that?!” Kalifa can barely believe the amount of power she just released, and Maul is content knowing that he is as good of a teacher as Sidious, perhaps even better.

“Yes, that was perfect! Soon you will see that kind of power as common and grow even more powerful.” Maul pulls at her with the force and does the same to Jinx so they’re both in his line of sight “I have a mission for you, I don’t expect you to come back unharmed or even whole, but this is your chance to prove me wrong. You will accompany a pirate band in a month-long raid of the Core, I will give you as many weapons as you desire and if you present me a lightsaber when you return I will teach you anything you want”

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Bo-Katan Kryse

“Do you really believe we can trust the confederacy? They have failed us before” Bo-Katan was loyal to Death Watch and it infuriated her that they had to even ask for help to get their planet back from the soft-hearted people her sister led.

“You’re thinking about this in the wrong way, it’s not about trust but how we benefit from each other. Right now Mandalore is neutral and mostly Republic aligned but if we take it and it becomes neutral and Separatist leaning the Republic will not be able to contain itself, they will attack us and show all Mandalorians that the only way to live freely is to fight” Pre Vizsla spoke with all the confidence in the world but Bo-Katan wasn’t so sure about the outcome of such a fight.

They wouldn’t lose outright but she doubted they could win and while some saw death on the battlefield as the ultimate goal Bo-Katan wanted their people to prosper. She kept silent though as Vizsla had never done anything that could his leadership into question he held the right to rule Mandalore and the proof was dangling from his waist.

“The boy has changed, he has fire. Do you think he would like to join us?” her leader mused as he watched a holo of the boy.

“You would offer him entrance to your clan?” none would take the boy if ordered so the only way to make Lux a Mandalorian was to take him into Vizsla’s clan “Why?”

“It always pays to have friends in high places, even better if the person that can help you is part of your people only then can you truly trust them” with that nugget of wisdom Vizsla motioned her to follow.

Soon they found themselves in what was effectively a war room, plans for the hostile takeover of Mandalore and its central government along with the optimal places where they would have to put blockades in order to stop anyone from leaving the planet were there for everyone to see.

Bo-Katan hated the necessity of the plans but if her sister continued to rule then everything that made them Mandalorians would disappear leaving only weak fools unable to defend themselves, not to mention that the people they sought to protect would hate them and resist their rule, Vizsla was confident that they could change the perception of their rule even after that if they showed them the glory of their past by rebuilding what they used to have.

Vizsla moved the map to show another region of space, the planet of the witches in all of its glory along with the rest of the system “Our new friend wants to meet us close to the witches it’s a rather strange location”

“We would see any force trying to ambush us long before they got in range, it can’t be a trap”

“I agree” Vizsla moved the map showing the sectors close to it “I believe our friend will ask us to help with something first, as a force currently not aligned with either side we can cause some chaos without raising any alarms, Dantooine is being contested and we can tip the balance in the favor of the separatist”

“If we do this we have to make sure they keep their word this time, I don’t like wasting the life of good men and women for the whims of money-grubbing bureaucrats”