π‘οΈ This is the Way.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β βοΈ MANDALORIAN CONTRACT BOARD βοΈ β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ£
β Objective: Launch the story into hyperspace β
β Reward: Extra chapters for the crew β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ£
β Review Bounties: β
β β’ βββββ = +1 bonus chapter β
β β’ ββββ + ββββ = +1 bonus chapter β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ£
β 2β3 lines is enough: β
β β’ "I loved ___ becauseβ¦" β
β β’ "Best scene so far wasβ¦" β
β β’ "My theory isβ¦" β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ£
β Thank you for backing Max Vizsla and the β
β rise of Mandalore. β
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
This is the Way.
After establishing a connection with the blue kyber crystal inside the ancient lightsaber, Max briefly thought he was about to get the classic holonovel fantasy: an ancient mentor-in-the-hilt, guiding his hand and feeding him answers.
He didn't.
A kyber crystal's awareness is faint. It can form a subtle, almost mystical connection with a Force user through the Force, but it can't truly hold a conversationβlet alone conjure up a four-thousand-year-old blade-master to teach Max the seven forms of lightsaber combat.
Still, that faint connection was genuinely beneficial. After being accepted by the blue kyber crystal in the ancient saber, and after gaining his own bonded bright-yellow kyber crystal, Max could feel his understanding of the Forceβand his connection to itβdeepening by the day.
And while its awareness was faint, the "old crystal's" will was firm. Whether it wanted to prove itselfβor prove its former partnerβthe blue kyber crystal strongly resisted Max's idea of altering the saber's configuration. It wanted to keep the old crossguard form for future training and combat.
Max was exasperated.
He had planned to pair the ancient saber's blue kyber crystal with his own bonded bright-yellow crystal and forge a double-crystal, single-blade lightsaberβtaking inspiration from Corran Horn, the Corellian Jedi Master from the old expanded continuity.
A lightsaber with a single kyber crystal has a fixed blade length. A lightsaber with multiple kyber crystals can adjust blade length by changing how the energy is focused through the crystal assembly and its actuator.
Corran Horn's weapon was a double-crystal, single-blade lightsaber. By adjusting the crystals, he could switch from a normal-length blade to a light-lance with a blade longer than three meters. In combat, he'd often extend the blade abruptly and skewer or wound an enemy in an instant.
Master Corran Horn was also skilled at another flashy technique: when his blade was locked, he'd shut it off, slip past the block, then reignite immediately for a sudden strike.
It was a ridiculously slick style, and Max loved it. And with beskar armor as a safety net, his margin for error in doing "slick moves" was higherβmaking him confident he could go even further down the road of winning with shameless technique.
But Blue wasn't cooperating, so the whole plan died before it was born.
After that night, Max settled into a steady routine: eat, sleep, endless meetings and arguments, train his connection to the Force, and drill Mandalorian skills until muscle memory took over.
That routine lasted until sixteen days laterβon the 27th day after the tibanna gas convoy departed Bespin, and the second day after it reached Geonosis.
Galactic Standard Year 3, December 13.
The calm was broken.
"Viceroy Nute Gunray wants to meet me in person?" Max said. "WhereβCoruscant detention?"
Max clearly remembered that in the Naboo incidentβwhat happened in The Phantom MenaceβNute Gunray had been taken into custody and handed over to the Republic's courts.
"No, no, no," Killian Fieg said on the holo, waving both hands.
"Gunray's at the Trade Federation headquarters on Cato Neimoidia. He never stayed in a cell. The Republic has laws, but Gunray has this." Fieg rubbed his fingers together. "He didn't even lose his seat."
Max had assumed Gunray would bribe his way into a lighter sentence. He hadn't expected him to avoid punishment entirely.
The news hit Max like a warning bell. Up to now, he'd leaned too hard on plot knowledge and on his own limited Force-based foresight, and he'd neglected conventional intelligence gathering.
That wouldn't do.
This was a real, enormous galaxy. The films only showed a sliver of it. And the further he went, the more his presence would inevitably distort events. A small deviation now could become a disaster later. He couldn't keep relying solely on memory of the "plot."
He needed to start building his own intelligence networkβimmediately.
"Does Gunray even know who I am? How did he find out, and what does he want to talk about?"
Fieg rolled his eyes. "Listen to yourself. 'Manager Cloud'βlike I keep a roster of every ambitious warlord hiding behind a title."
"Hah, sorry, my lord." Max gave an awkward smile. "I'm not questioning you. I'm just trying to read the angle."
Killian Fieg neither confirmed nor denied anything. He took a sip of wine, then continued:
"Just nowβminutes agoβGunray contacted me. He asked whether the Mandalorians escorting my merchant convoy were mercenaries I hired. I told him you're the Fieg Consortium's security team. After that, Gunray said he had a job he wanted to commission those Mandalorians to do."
"I asked what job. The old leech said it was a secret mission and refused to explain. But he promised that if it's completed, then in the future, however much tibanna gas the Fieg Consortium has, he'll buy it all. So I came to you immediately. What do you think?"
Max wasn't worried about Cloud City's tibanna gas sales. The Republic was already rotten. Chaos was coming, and everyone could smell it. Every power in the galaxy was expanding its militaryβtibanna gas would sell itself.
But Nute Gunray was petty and vindictive. Rejecting him outright would be an easy way to make an enemy who would remember it. Accepting, on the other hand, meant a stable major client during the startup phaseβuseful for Cloud City's development.
After weighing it, Max answered decisively, "Then I'll meet himβfor the sake of our future profits."
"Same as always," Killian Fieg said, raising his glass. "To making a fortune. May the Force be with us. Good luck, Manager Cloud."
What does Nute Gunray want?
After ending the call, Max propped his chin on his hand and fell into thought.
Petty. Vindictive. The kind of small man who holds a grudge morning, noon, and nightβ¦
Wait.
Don't tell me he wants to hire Mandalorians to assassinate Queen PadmΓ© Amidala?
Max couldn't sit still anymore. He stood and began pacing back and forth across the room.
PS: PadmΓ©, Anakin, and Wenja are about to start appearing one after another. I'm still finding my footingβif anything comes off wrong, bear with me.
And if any Jedi Masters or Sith Lords want to cameo as minor roles, you're welcome.
This is the Way. May the Force be with us.
π‘οΈ This is the Way.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β βοΈ MANDALORIAN CONTRACT BOARD βοΈ β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ£
β Objective: Launch the story into hyperspace β
β Reward: Extra chapters for the crew β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ£
β Review Bounties: β
β β’ βββββ = +1 bonus chapter β
β β’ ββββ + ββββ = +1 bonus chapter β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ£
β 2β3 lines is enough: β
β β’ "I loved ___ becauseβ¦" β
β β’ "Best scene so far wasβ¦" β
β β’ "My theory isβ¦" β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ£
β Thank you for backing Max Vizsla and the β
β rise of Mandalore. β
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
This is the Way.