In giving the order to jump to hyperspace at any coordinates, "even to Mandalore," Revan had not for a moment considered that the droid would execute the instructions literally. He was more concerned with the holocrons he had managed to retrieve from Obsidian. They might contain the exact information that could help the former Jedi unravel the secret of his return to the world of the living. It would be the first step toward recovering Bastila. The hope for happiness...
But studying the confusing and unstructured information, intermingled with the delusional thoughts of some mad Sith, required a great deal of time. And it seemed no one intended to give Revan that time.
His apprentices demanded attention. They needed guidance from their master to understand if they were moving in the right direction and developing correctly. Training sessions were non-negotiable, as were joint meditation periods. He managed to offload some of the lessons onto HK-47 and Maul, but even so, after three days of flying in hyperspace, Revan hadn't even learned the name of the individual who recorded the holocrons. Had Tulak Hord truly been involved in their creation? Or perhaps one of his students or followers?
The records contained no specifics, only hints and expansive musings. One thought would be interrupted by another, followed by a description of outright nonsense that the holocron's author had clearly seen in a trance. But that was only at first glance. Revan felt in his gut that something was amiss. The Force had led him to these holocrons. Therefore, something useful had to be inside. All that remained was to figure out what, exactly.
Engrossed in solving the puzzle, Revan did not immediately notice someone entering his cabin.
It was Tira who entered, and the mercenary said something to the cabin's occupant... but he had missed it entirely.
"What?" Revan asked.
"We've emerged into Mandalore's orbit," the woman repeated.
"Why?" the former Jedi asked, surprised.
"By your command," the mercenary smirked, removing her helmet. "Did you not once, in three days, ask where we were flying?"
"No," the cabin's owner confessed honestly.
The Mandalorian rolled her eyes, mentally assigning her companion a less-than-flattering assessment.
"When you left that cruiser, you ordered your maniacal droid to flee to anywhere far away, mentioning Mandalore for some reason. He didn't waste time choosing a destination and simply used the one you'd already voiced."
"That's awkward..."
The woman narrowed her eyes and looked at Revan suspiciously.
"You weren't planning on coming here, were you?"
"No."
"A Hutt. And here I thought you'd finally decided to help my clan."
The former Jedi was experiencing mixed feelings about this. He was uncomfortable that, due to a foolish accident, Nomad had been given false hope for the quick resolution of her concerns. No, Revan wasn't going back on his word... but he hadn't planned to fly to Mandalore so soon.
"I apologize..."
"But we don't have much choice. We'll be staying on Mandalore for a little while," Tira cut Revan off.
"Why?"
"Refueling and scheduled maintenance," Tira shrugged. "Our little astromech is insisting on it, as well as replacing the hyperdrive's cooling system. This ship is a prototype, after all. Reliability is not their strong suit."
Revan massaged his temples, forcing the incipient headache to recede.
"Why do I have the feeling that none of this was an accident?"
"Paranoia," Tira remarked lightly, pushing a strand of crimson hair from her forehead.
The Mandalorian chose to ignore the suspicious gaze from the former Jedi.
"Fine, let's go to the cockpit," Revan stood up.
Nomad nodded and was the first to leave the cabin.
As much as Revan wanted to abandon everything and focus on solving the holocrons, he couldn't ignore his surroundings. It wasn't in his nature. The former Jedi had grasped the benefits and strength of a unified team, gathered under his command, long ago. After all, a squad of young Knights who disagreed with the Council and followed him once led to the collapse of the Mandalorian armada. And a little later, a handful of sentient beings on an old freighter crushed Malak's Empire.
As for the cherished dream of recovering Bastila... he had found one of the keys. Hope had emerged; a lead had appeared. But Revan understood well that one should not rush games involving the Force and the laws of the universe. Otherwise, he could end up like Darth Zash, whom Scourge had mentioned. Therefore, he needed to briefly distract himself, lest he become fixated on a single thought... as he once had with his search for Vitiate.
The walk to the cockpit took less than a minute. And when Revan saw the planet in whose orbit the Dawn's Eagle was drifting, he couldn't believe his eyes.
This world was utterly unlike the Mandalore the former Jedi remembered! The greenery had almost vanished from the surface, giving way to gray deserts; the oceans had shrunk in volume; there were almost no clouds, which did not speak well of the atmosphere and pleasant climate.
"What happened here?" Revan asked, suppressing his shock.
"What do you mean?" Tira didn't understand.
"Why does Mandalore look so lifeless?"
"It's been like this for seven centuries. Since Dral-Han, or as it's known in the Republic, the Mandalorian Purge."
"The Republic did this?" Revan asked in disbelief.
"Yes," Nomad replied. "I don't know all the details of the conflict. My trainers told me about it. You couldn't even call it a war. It was a massacre."
"Why... What was the reason?!"
HK decided to answer, having been quite bored in the pilot's seat where he had no opportunity to shoot down passing vessels and observe meatbags convulsing and writhing in agony as they were jettisoned into space.
"Historical Note: After the Ruusan Reformation, the Mandalorians refused to join the Republic, as it contradicted their traditions. A breakthrough in technological progress led to the strengthening of Mandalore's military power. Given previous experience with repeated invasions of the Republic and the subsequent bloody conflicts, the Jedi Order was extremely concerned about the growing threat from the Mandalorians. As a result, the Council decided to launch a preventive strike on the Mandalore system. With the multiple numerical superiority of the Republic forces, the Mandalorians had no chance of victory. The attackers acted with particular cruelty, and as a result, many planets, such as Mandalore, Concord Dawn, Ordo, and Fenel, were devastated during orbital bombardments, Master."
The information voiced by the droid not only puzzled the former Jedi but shocked him.
"The Order... attacked the Mandalorians... without a visible reason? Incinerated an entire star system... based on assumptions?! Guided only by fear?!" Revan slowly started to boil. "Did they lose not only their fleet but their minds after Ruusan?!"
"It's strange to hear that from you," Tira said, surprised. "After all, you are known among the Mandalorians as the one who inflicted the most crushing defeat upon them."
"I was defending the peaceful citizens of the Republic! I didn't start that war! And the Order... The Order that was my home would never have..."
"The Jedi have always been quick to use weapons," Nomad dismissed. "Just remember Galidraan."
Revan spun sharply toward the mercenary.
"It is one thing to uphold ideals, defend freedoms, or fight for life by repelling those who cannot heed the voice of reason. It is quite another to drop bombs from orbit onto the heads of a civilian population!" the former Jedi yelled angrily. "Even if every Mandalorian is trained to handle a weapon, even if your culture is based on war... not every Mandalorian chooses the path of the warrior. There were farmers among you, and technicians, and scientists... old people, no longer able to hold a weapon... children, who hadn't yet experienced life... What did they do to deserve death? Refuse to join the corrupt Republic? Develop technology?"
"You heard your droid," Tira said, slightly thrown off by her companion's angry rebuke. "They were a threat."
"And they didn't even try diplomacy anymore? Economic leverage? A system blockade, for Hutt's sake!"
"That would have provoked a conflict regardless."
"What kind of conflict could there be with such a numerical advantage? The entire Republic against one inhabited system!"
"Important Correction: The Mandalorians have previously demonstrated their ability to withstand the full might of the Republic, Master," the assassin droid interjected.
Revan immediately understood that HK was reminding him of the Mandalorian Wars, in which Revan himself had participated.
"That was a different situation," the former Republic Army General grimaced at the painful memories. "The Mandalorians were unified and possessed a massive fleet. The Republic was essentially inactive until it was too late. The Order never officially entered the war, aside from those members who followed me. And besides... the Sith were behind everything."
"And how would you have acted in that situation?" Nomad drew his attention again. "What should the Republic have done?"
"Blockade, compel negotiations, bind them with treaties, disarm them, and leave a garrison. That should have been the sequence of actions," Revan said grimly. "Or, better yet, they should have tried to draw the Mandalorians into deeper trade relations with the Republic. Establish contacts. Show the advantages of peaceful life..."
"Mandalore would not have submitted," Tira shook her head. "Rebellions would have been quick to follow. And we know how to wage a guerrilla war."
"Maybe, maybe not," the former Jedi shook his head. "There is always more than one path. The Order chose the simplest... but not the right one."
For several long moments, Nomad silently watched Revan, turning his words over in her mind. She hadn't expected such a reaction, especially from the one known among the Mandalorians by the nickname The Butcher. And yet, the Mando'ade warriors respected Revan. He was the one who achieved an honest victory. No wonder even Canderous Ordo, the future Mandalore, saw nothing shameful in working with him. But the Mandalorians could not speak of the Jedi Order with respect.
Revan was right in one thing: war is one thing, and a massacre is another. What the Republic orchestrated was closer to genocide than a preventive strike. After all, the enemy did not limit itself to destroying military targets. No. They scorched the surfaces of planets. They destroyed crops, farmlands, and entire settlements. The worlds were devastated. It's no surprise that most of the clans who remained true to tradition genuinely hate the Jedi and the Republic.
As a member of the Nomad clan and as a Chiss, the Order's actions were repulsive to Tira.
Revan, once again, made it clear that he was not a Jedi, even if he had fought on their side once.
"Nevertheless, they achieved their goal," the mercenary broke the silence.
"What do you mean?" Revan didn't understand.
"Mandalore submitted to the Republic. Not completely, but for the most part."
"What does that mean?"
"Few survived the Purge. And as fate would have it, most of them were cowardly weaklings from a half-forgotten pacifist faction. No surprise there, if you're sitting underground with your tail tucked between your legs, a bombardment won't scare you," Nomad scoffed. "It was easy to sway the bloodless people to their side. The pacifists, at the behest of the occupying forces, became Mandalore's official government. There were many dissenters, and the struggle against the opposition hasn't ceased to this day, but for seven centuries, Mandalore has never been able to recover."
"Well, I was too quick to judge the intellectual capacity of the Order's Council. I take my words back," Revan shook his head. "The Order destroyed Mandalore by depriving you of unity."
"A disgrace," Tira whispered.
Silence returned, broken only by the chirping of instruments. Revan considered this new information. Between teaching Anakin and Maul, searching for ancient artifacts, playing with visions, and establishing the Claws' information network, Revan hadn't bothered to study the situation on Mandalore, which had once interested him.
This gap needed to be filled as soon as possible. After all, Revan intended to keep the promise he made to Tira. He owed this woman a debt, and the former Dark Lord was accustomed to paying his debts.
And something told the former Jedi that in the coming events... it would be better to have the Mandalorians on his side.
"Tell me, what is the situation on Mandalore now?" Revan asked, turning to Nomad. "As I understand it, a kind of democratic government is in power?"
"A Duchess and a Parliament," Tira nodded. "The pacifist party had been gaining strength since the time of the Purge. The traditionalists held them back as best they could, but they still managed to come to power and significantly change the way of life on Mandalore. They even forced the people to abandon beskar'gam."
The last phrase genuinely surprised Revan. The former Jedi, who had repeatedly clashed with Mandalorians, couldn't imagine what could force a native of Mandalore to permanently remove their armor.
"The opposition? I don't think all the clans accept the new order," he immediately inquired.
"You're right; many didn't like it. Immediately after the formation of the provisional government, a group of clans separated and chose a new Mandalore for themselves. They called themselves the True Mandalorians and preferred to follow centuries-old traditions, ignoring the newly formed parliament. Naturally, there was no place for them on a planet where the occupying garrison still remained, so they scattered across the galaxy. The Nomad clan was among them."
"So, essentially, everything returned to the position it was in before the appearance of Mandalore the Preserver?" specified Revan, who well remembered the Mandalorian mercenaries scattered across the galaxy after the defeat of Mandalore the Ultimate.
"Without going into detail, I suppose so," Tira agreed. "Only fragmented information remains of those times. Digestible chronicles only began to be kept after Canderous Ordo came to power."
"Just as I thought," Revan nodded to his own thoughts.
"In any case, a lot has changed over the past years. About a quarter of a century ago, the title of Mandalore was taken by Jaster Mereel from Concord Dawn. He, more than anyone, advocated for the preservation of traditions... though not all of them. Jaster considered the Canons of Honor, which the Mandalorians followed even during the time of the Neo-Crusaders, to be the key to preserving traditions while avoiding the moral decay that a mercenary life brought."
"Resol'nare," Revan said thoughtfully. "Canderous spoke of something similar in his time."
"That's right. Mandalore the Preserver, as his diaries indicate, paid close attention to the moral integrity of the warriors when uniting the clans."
"And this Jaster followed his example?"
"You could say that. Mereel discovered that many Mandalorians were dissatisfied with the dishonorable and overly savage methods prevalent among their brethren. Desiring to revive the clans' honor, Mereel took the long-forgotten Canons of Honor of the Mandalorian Crusaders and Neo-Crusaders as the basis for a new set of rules, creating several hundred guidelines for the Mandalorian warrior, unified under the name of the Supercommando Codex."
Revan mentally noted that this Mereel was similar to Canderous in many ways. It was worth getting acquainted with him.
"However, the new codex was not to everyone's liking," Tira continued. "A group of radical clans, led by Tor Vizsla, broke away from the True Mandalorians."
"You mentioned him earlier," Revan recalled. "His clan is threatening yours, correct?"
"Tor Vizsla is dead, but his clan is indeed at odds with mine. But let's take things in order," Nomad clarified. "Tor believed that the galaxy, as well as the New Mandalorians, were merely using the tradition-loyal clans for defense and offense when it suited them, like wild beasts on a leash. He insisted that only by reclaiming Mandalore's former greatness and respect from the galaxy could it be reborn as an independent world."
"And, like many before him, he confused respect with fear?"
"Exactly. They called themselves Death Watch and started a real civil war, striving to destroy the True Mandalorians loyal to Mereel and seize power in the system."
Being well-acquainted with political intrigues, Revan quickly assessed the situation.
"I assume the pacifist faction watched the conflict from the sidelines, and after it ended, suddenly came to power in the absence of political competitors," the former Jedi described the events quite accurately.
"The True Mandalorians were destroyed on Galidraan. Death Watch was officially disbanded. And in power, as you correctly assumed, are the pacifists, led by a puppet Duchess—an idealist whose mind is so blinkered that she completely fails to see where our world is heading," Tira hissed with open aversion. "Mandalore has no agriculture because the land has become unfit for growing food. We live in isolated domed cities because the atmosphere is only conditionally suitable for breathing. Military production has been curtailed in favor of factories assembling civilian transports. And even those have been moved from Mandalore to Concordia. The Mando'ade homeworld has practically become a dead world. No trade, no army. We are defenseless and heading for a precipice. But the Duchess cares more about looking good in the Senate."
"I wouldn't be surprised if Sidious or his master had a hand in this," Revan mentally noted. "The Sith have always recognized the danger of the Mandalorians. That's why Vitiate decided to pit them against the Republic, to simultaneously remove the mercenaries from the way and weaken the enemy army. Apparently, Plagueis came up with a similar plan. Divide the clans, pit them against each other, and install someone easily controlled in power. I refuse to believe the pacifists have no one standing behind them."
Nomad continued to badmouth Mandalore's government, moving on to the corrupt politicians and the rise of crime in the sector. After all, without the militantly-inclined clans, Mandalore had no real power.
Revan's thoughts and Tira's stream of invective were interrupted by HK, however much he might have enjoyed listening to the convoluted expressions in Mando'a.
"Alert: Master, the controller from Sundari spaceport is contacting us and inquiring if we plan to descend to the planet. We are already on our third orbital pass," the droid reported. "Reminder: We need to carry out repairs and refuel."
"Tira, where can we take cover on the planet? I'd like to avoid the attention of the authorities," Revan asked.
"The old spaceport in Keldabe is still there. There is also a Nomad clan cell there. They will help," the mercenary responded.
"HK, inform the Sundari controller that we are heading to Keldabe for refueling, and calculate the course."
"Acknowledged, Master."
While the droid executed the instructions, the former Jedi returned to the interrupted conversation.
"Although you mentioned that the True Mandalorians were destroyed and Death Watch disbanded, your very request for help directly states the opposite." Revan looked intently into the mercenary's eyes. "Neither faction perished, did they?"
"You're right," Nomad agreed. "After Jaster's death, the title of Mandalore passed to Jango Fett."
A grimace of disgust appeared briefly on Revan's face. The atrocities of another Fett involuntarily surfaced in his memory, and overcoming the old feeling of hatred was not easy.
"Jango was the only one who survived on Galidraan when the Jedi, at the behest of the Death Watch puppets, massacred his entire squad."
Revan recalled seeing records of that incident in the Temple Archives. The former Jedi mentally noted that Dooku, who led the operation to "pacify the mercenary group," was also not happy with the outcome. The Count apparently realized he had been used, and this severely undermined his faith in the Order.
"Fett eventually managed to kill Vizsla," Tira continued, meanwhile. "However, he decided to renounce the title of Mandalore. The civil war ended there, but the conflict is still unresolved."
"The war is now fought in secret, correct?"
"Yes. Many of the clans that supported Jaster are still loyal to the Codex and are ready to answer the call of Mandalore, which they still consider to be Jango Fett. Just as Death Watch has not disappeared and is weaving its webs somewhere on Concordia."
"You mentioned hostages?" Revan decided to get to the point.
Tira readily dropped the details of Mandalore's political intrigues.
"The Death Watch has kidnapped dozens of people. Most are somehow connected to the leadership of the clans supporting Jaster's ideals, or to the representatives of the parliament. And while the clans can still resist, gritting their teeth and preparing to launch a symmetrical response, the pacifists... Death Watch already has a powerful leverage over the government, and they are just waiting for the right moment for a coup."
"There is someone from the Nomads among the hostages, correct?"
"Yes," Tira nodded glumly.
"A close person?" Revan realized.
"My trainer. Or rather, my mentor. One of those who took me in without ever focusing on my original species."
"I see." The former Jedi exhaled and rubbed his forehead. "But what do you want from me? Why these games with searching for Mandalore's Mask? You asked me to save your clan. That I can do. But to pull an entire planet out of a Banthas' backside that it let itself sink into over four thousand years? I am not omnipotent."
"You are Revan! You..."
"Only one person," the former Jedi interrupted his companion in a calm voice.
From the pilot's seat, a very clear, "Statement: Many would disagree with that," was heard at the minimum vocabulizer volume.
Revan, with a fleeting movement of his hand, tossed the hydrospanner lying on the floor at the assassin droid's head.
Clang.
"Indignant Exclamation: Ow! ... Master."
"Even your droid agrees with me!" Tira wouldn't give up. "You've worked miracles before. I've read the legends about you."
"Legends are legends precisely because they distort the truth at the most unthinkable angles," Revan countered.
"But there is still some truth in them. Don't deny it! You defeated Mandalore the Ultimate! You seized half the Republic! And you freed it yourself!"
"That was different..."
"I see no difference," the mercenary crossed her arms stubbornly. "My mentor always told me that you cannot underestimate the power of a leader. Even one person on the battlefield can change everything."
"Especially if he knows how to use Battle Meditation," Revan scoffed mentally.
"I'm only asking you to try. Help me!"
For the first time, Nomad allowed her voice to tremble in Revan's presence. No, she had shed tears before when talking about her past in the Dominion. But only now did Revan feel the sincere emotions raging in the woman's soul. Although she wasn't born on Mandalore, she had become a true Mandalorian. Her mentor had raised her well... Perhaps even too well.
She helped get Anakin out of the Temple. She helped connect him with the right people when Revan needed assistance. Nomad had not once given him cause to doubt her in the few months they had known each other. He had trusted Canderous in a much shorter period of time.
Tira had become a friend. And you couldn't refuse to help friends.
"Do you understand what a swamp we're wading into?" he clarified.
"Yes," the woman nodded, instantly turning serious.
"And your plan to search for Mandalore's Mask will have to be adjusted."
"Yes."
"And, perhaps... staging a military coup..."
"..."
"Do you understand?"
"Yes," Tira answered confidently, gathering her courage.
"Then we have a lot of work ahead of us," Revan clapped his hands, making his final decision. "Tira, I need to talk to the head of your clan and, if possible, those who support the same position. Prepare a brief on the current ruling party and the Duchess in particular. Who she grew up with, whom she met, where she lives, where she dines, where she stays on Coruscant..."
"That's an enormous amount of information..." the woman gasped.
"Involve Maul; he knows how to find things that are being hidden. R2 will help with the hacking." The former Jedi turned to the cockpit exit and shouted loudly, "Isn't that right, little guy?"
A cheerful whistle in Binary was a clear confirmation.
"Next, HK... I'm going to regret this, but you have a special assignment."
"With readiness: They will not know what struck them, Master," the assassin droid responded bloodthirstily.
Revan slapped his forehead but continued nonetheless.
"Find out what you can about Death Watch. Their structure, the names of their leaders, their hideouts, who they work with, whom they are pressuring. Anything. And do it quietly."
"Enthusiastically: I will not fail, Master."
"I hope there's something left of the planet..." Revan muttered under his breath, and then continued louder: "Prepare for landing."
And while the source of future problems for Mandalore was gently descending into the spaceport, the former Jedi decided to brief the youngest of his apprentices. After all, this would be Anakin's first real "mission" with his mentor.
————
Read ahead of schedule here → pat-reon(.)c-om/Bluuuxx [remove the parentheses and hyphen]