Chapter 7 – Civil War Part 3

Orbit of Reijar, Ordo System…Late 974 ARR...

Aboard the frigate that served as the fleet's flagship Haron looked impassively at the clans who were now flocking to side with them. Ara and Deera's little mission had been more effective than any of them had imagined, most of Bralor's clans were now either defecting to their side or scrambling to join other houses to avoid the same thing happening to them. The support House Bralor had once commanded was now a mere shadow of what it once was.

Oh how the tables had turned Haron thought with a slight smirk, House Awaud was now extinct and most if not all of its clans now served Ordo as did many of Bralor's already. Hostages were being held by Ordo loyalists and would ensure their loyalty for the future.

That did make him pause for a moment, he wondered if when he had been reborn into this world he had left some part of his old self behind. He was he had noticed more ruthless and practical here, more willing to do bad things to achieve his goals and it was not just him he had realised. Hannah before had been far more naive and gentle, now she was able to kill with barely a second thought and was far more worldly wise. Neville, now while he had always been a little timid he was as strong as a lion and seemed to have cast off those old insecurities here. Luna...well Haron thought with a smile she was more centred and focused but was just as much a free spirit as before albeit with a little more ruthlessness.

Daphne...no Ara he thought was the most unchanged, she was as practical and hard-working as ever with a cunning that he honestly believed would see her become top of whatever power structure she sought to dominate.

Maybe that was for the best, given what they had found themselves in Haron thought with sadness. If they hadn't been this way now who knows how things would have turned out.

Dragging himself back to the present Haron looked back at the holomap which showed just how the war was progressing. Any remaining fronts were shrinking rapidly and at last the objective he had been hoping for had come into reach.

Hrthging, the homeworld of House Bralor and their main stronghold.

With their forces limited and stretched very thin to engage them on different fronts Hrthging was vulnerable and ripe for the taking. Bralor had apparently reached out to the Hutts for support, promising much in the way of Firegems which their planet produced.

Firegems were impressive gemstones which naturally vibrated meaning they were always warm to the touch and not only looked beautiful but gave the appearance of having a flame inside. Jewellers around the galaxy adored them and paid great sums for just a few. But they were illegal in the Republic because if they got too close to a hyperdrive generator they caused it to explode when making a jump. No one knew why but their use as a tool in sabotage and murder alone made them desirable for that precise quirk.

To the Hutts they were a gold mine.

That was why it was important that Haron made a good deal with the one Hutt he knew in a position to stop them helping Bralor.

Jabba.

A short while later a hologram of the large Hutt appeared with a protocol droid standing next to him. Haron stood there and gave a slight bow that he would rather not but insulting a hutt especially one as Jabba was not a wise move.

"Mighty Jabba wishes to know what House Ordo could offer him that would persuade him to reject House Bralor's very generous offer?" The Protocol Droid asked, Haron knew Jabba had been a lot more rude than that but didn't let on that he knew Huttese and could understand Jabba perfectly well on his own so as to not humiliate him. A Hutt's pride was not something you wanted to wound if you wanted to do business with them.

"House Bralor is offering you a one off delivery of firegems, a fairly sized one but still just a single helping which later allows them to extort far greater sums from you in the future. What I offer the Mighty Jabba is a smaller but constant supply, smaller amounts but over a prolonged period of time and exclusively to him. A far greater source of credits in the long term than a single one off payment and at a discounted price, all I ask in return is that you prevent the other Hutt Council members from interfering in our Civil War."

Jabba seemed to ponder for a moment, it was a very lucrative offer for him. It would cost him far less to get firegems and in return all he would have to do is nothing at all, he had the authority on the council to stop them from aiding Bralor and get a personal fortune in the process. Money was king to the Hutts, everyone knew that and the best way to turn one to your side was either by threatening their lives or giving them a better offer. However given he had no intention of making an enemy of the Hutts the offer it was.

The large Hutt crime lord then spoke in Huttese again and the droid translated.

"Mighty Jabba accepts your offer, he will ensure the council do not interfere in the civil war in exchange for steady trade of firegems."

"Mighty Jabba honours me with his custom and has my gratitude." Haron said with a slight nod before the transmission cut out. He sighed with relief, honestly feeling like he needed a shower after all of that ass kissing especially since he personally hated the Hutts. But love them or hate them the Hutts were powerful and having them on your side was far better than being their enemy.

It pained him to do business with a hutt but it was a good deal to help end the war quickly and find a client for this new resource once they have access to it however dangerous it was.

Haron heard the door open and saw Deera walk in dressed in her armour, ready for the battle ahead.

"Our task force is prepared, we're ready to move out on your order. Did it go well?" She asked, how well the battle went would be determined by his conversation with Jabba.

"Better than expected." Haron said with a slight smile. "A client for the firegems once we control the supply and keeping the Hutts out of our war. Jabba isn't a fool, he wants a certainty not an outside chance." Haron said, it was possible that Jabba might violate his agreement with them but the Hutts as a rule honoured a contract once it was set.

"Then it is time to end this war." Deera said with a smile herself.

And he was glad of it too Haron thought, it had been a busy year and an exhausting one too. Dashing all over Mandalorian Space and fighting a lot of battles but soon it would be at last over. He for one would be glad as the rebuilding after the war was going to be hard enough work as it was without the war going on any longer and he was eager to finally settle with his friends and family.

So he left the briefing room and with Deera at his heels went to the bridge to get the fleet on the move.

Hrthging, A Couple of Days Later...

The planet of Hrthging was a beautiful world with many impressive sights across its surface, it reminded Haron a lot of India in both landscape and building design which he had once visited on business for the Ministry.

This fond memory of another life was forgotten as a large squadron of Kom'rk-class fighter/transports flew towards the planet's surface accompanied by a flight of M3-A Scyk fighters for protection. Sitting in their seats, ready for deployment all the warriors had gone strangely quiet as their focus became razor sharp, before or even after a battle Mandalorians liked the joke and boast of their skills and accomplishments but in this last moment before the fighting really began everyone got serious...so they had a greater chance of survival.

Haron and Deera were no different only they were comforted by their confident force auras and able to send reassurance to each other, although their faces were covered by their helmets they knew each other was giving them a smile of encouragement.

The atmospheric turbulence shook the ship but in their secure seats they stayed still and waited for the moment to make the drop. Sounds of blaster fire echoed all around them as surface batteries and enemy fighters attacked their own. Explosions let them know when ships were being shot down but only Haron and Deera knew if it was one of their own or not.

Then at last the seat racks lowered and the hatch beneath opened, allowing them to see the clouds all around them. Without hesitation especially as a warning in the force was urging them to go, Haron and Deera detached and ignited their jet-packs followed by the rest of their warriors just as the transport carrying them was hit by a missile that emerged from the clouds, bursting into flames and plummeting uncontrolled towards the surface.

There was no time to mourn for the pilots though as Bralor warriors appeared from the clouds ahead, Haron without even thinking guided by the force adjusted his flight path so he could avoid the blaster fire and other missiles being sent their way. He fired his own missile with a slight push and it slammed straight into a warrior who had been leading the enemy formation.

He and Deera however had no time to plan their next move as they steered themselves around to see the Bralor warriors rush straight past them and started attacking the transports behind them. Haron landed on one of the transports, the wind made standing difficult but he was able to maintain his stance. Bralor warriors looked up to see him but with his blaster pistols now in hand and started firing, the inferior armour the Bralor warriors were wearing could do little to stop him as he mowed them down with ease. Twisting around when he felt a warning in the force as a Bralor warrior came up behind him, trying shoot his jet-pack. Haron kicked him with all the power the force could put into his muscles and the warrior was sent flying, Haron then shot him in the jet-pack when it was exposed causing an explosion which buckled the ship slightly but sent the probably dead warrior plummeting down with nothing to stop his fall.

Nearby Deera was enjoying herself immensely as she flew through the sky with her blasters, strafing enemy warriors as she passed them. Seeing one of their transports in danger from some warriors dropping charges on it she quickly landed and shot two of them without missing a beat. The remaining one however was close enough to close the distance before she could shoot again, he tried to jab her with a knife but she pivoted out of the way with the grace of a dancer and deployed her vambraces wrist blades, planting one in his unprotected neck and then kicking him off the now safe transport.

The ground now started coming into view below, a city with simpler stone buildings but a modern looking complex on the edge albeit built in the same style. Haron and Deera leapt off the transports and reignited their packs to cruise down to the landing zone with all their airborne warriors following them. Squads of Bralor warriors were waiting for them at the landing zone, shooting their blasters and a few had some actual heavier blaster emplacements. Haron however already knew how to deal with this.

"Missiles." He commanded through the comlink and his warriors that still had missiles fired them straight at the gathered targets below. The warriors tried to dive for cover or shoot the missiles down but it was futile.

Explosions rocked the landing zone and most of the fixed weapon emplacements were instantly destroyed while warriors were sent flying. This created the perfect opening for Haron and his warriors to land and with their blasters drawn began to press the attack on the still recovering enemy. No mercenaries or bounty hunters could be seen so he was glad to see the Hutts had apparently turned Bralor down and made note to thank Jabba later.

Haron with his twin blaster pistols in hand led his forces onward, up the long staircase that led to the Bralor Stronghold. Warriors surged behind him as the depleted Bralor warriors did their best to hold them back. A group with forcefield barricades and some laser cannon emplacements stopped them in their tracks half way up. Haron and most of the warriors ducked behind the statues that lined the stairs although some unlucky warriors got caught in the sudden barrage of laser fire and were cut down. Haron did not waste time by mourning or even being angry, instead he activated his comlink again and contacted the starfighters and transports that were still in the air above them.

"Air strike at a hundred meters ahead of my present position, forcefield and laser emplacements." He said and moments later a pair of fighters descended and ripped into the entrenched position with their heavier laser cannons and missiles. The protective shields lasted only a brief moment before being overwhelmed and the warriors hiding behind them only a moment longer as a large explosion cleared the obstacle.

With that out of the way Haron and his people resumed their charge up the staircase which was now blackened and broken in places before finally arriving at the entrance to the Bralor Stronghold, Bralor warriors were few and far between as Haron and Deera led the charge in. Their numbers too few to resist the assault.

Haron and Deera with blasters firing cleared a path straight into the compound as their warriors came up behind them. A caped warrior with golden patterns on his brown and white coloured armour stepped out and Haron felt a subconscious push from the force to turn his attention to him. Besides him was a female warrior in similar coloured armour who stood next to him.

Haron and Deera stood face to face with them, feeling their importance and guessed they must be Duke Salus Bralor and his sister Rav. Known for little patience and being quite cutting in their comments but excellent warriors. Haron and Deera without waiting charged at their opponents who likewise charged forward to meet them.

Deera and Rav met first, neither bothering with their blasters as they traded blows. Deera tried to kick Rav in the stomach but the older woman proved her strength and skill by blocking the kick and slamming her glove covered fist into Deera's unprotected side. Deera winded pulled away before Rav tried to stab her with a wrist blade, but Deera knocked her arm away and with her free arm deployed the whipcord from her other vambrace.

Rav was caught by surprise and couldn't move quickly enough to avoid it, this game Deera the opportunity she needed and planted her own wrist blade through the woman's neck.

Nearby Haron was grappling with Salus Bralor, the two men trading blows with their fists and feet but neither seemed able to find a critical blow and Haron was annoyed. He might at any other time enjoyed a good fight but right now he just wanted this fight over and done with. So when Salus attacked with another punch Haron caught it and twisted hard, snapping the arm into a very unnatural 90 degree angle. The other man cried out in pain but he wasn't in pain for long as Haron stepped quickly forward, grabbed his head and twisted, snapping the neck in one quick motion.

The sight of their leaders dying in front of them made many of the Bralor warriors stop fighting immediately, there was no point in dying for an extinct house after all and Ordo had prevailed. Some did continue but those few easily fell to the many Ordo warriors around them now they were deprived of support.

Haron sighed in relief, he had a feeling of sadness too as once Bralor had been one of the most honourable and loyal houses in Mandalorian society. Their ancestor had been a key supporter of his when Canderous had been Mandalore, not to mention the two had been close for many centuries after.

Haron wondered if blind ambition had brought them to this and if so it was a sad end to such a noble house but all the same, the war was over.

House Ordo had not only won but through rite of conquest become the largest and most powerful House in all of Mandalorian Space. While Satine Kryse was supposedly their leader, Ordo was the strongest house now. With Bralor's destruction he would have to name someone to rule and decided on his uncle Breyer as its new ruler, it might be better to find a local but after all the hard work Breyer and his sons had put in they deserved this.

Haron and Deera raised their arms in victory, followed quickly with their warriors yelling out. Haron accessed his comm and on all channels spoke to not only his warriors on the ground but the pilots still in the air and the ships in orbit.

"This war has been a difficult struggle for all, a test of our skill and of our will to not only survive but win. We have all gone through the fire and emerged stronger for it, proving that all of us regardless of where we come from are Mandalorians...True Mandalorians, warriors all and be proud of your achievement. Now we must rest our weary bones and secure what we have gained, get ready from whatever the future brings. But for tonight...we celebrate!" Haron said and a cheer went up over the comms which brought a smile to his face as he could sense it did to Deera's too.

Reijar, Ordo System...A Month Later…

After the rushing around in war it was a strange thing for the pace to slow now.

Haron was sitting in his office in his family's compound looking over the different reports he had on his desk. The sheer scale of territory that he now controlled was astonishing, now more than double with nearly twice as many clans. Most of the defeated clans had accepted the status quo except for a brief rebellion on one moon which had been put down with a quick show of force.

Still it was a lot of things to manage and a census was being taken to see just what they had now, tax revenue to Ordo was much higher now and with more industries at their disposal. But something else had become theirs too, House Bralor and House Awaud had substantial shares in MandalTech, MandalMotors and Concordian Crescent Technologies. Now House Ordo had shares too since most Houses provided the seed money for the companies but now with their shares folded into his Haron had majority ownership, more than enough to defeat any takeover bid even if all the other houses banded together! What he could do with this he hadn't yet decided but it did give them some impressive facilities to access.

So he called together his 'inner circle' such as it was to make some decisions.

Slowly they all filed into the room and sat with him around the table in the far corner and Ara started the meeting.

"Well, now that the war is over we need to figure out what we are going to do. All the data we found in Revan's vault, force related and otherwise represents a great deal." She said and Deera then spoke having finally had a chance to examine it herself.

"Agreed, I have started passing some of the weapons tech like the Siantide technology to our weapon smiths, synthetic versions of the compound won't have quite the same punch but lasers and turbolasers will be substantially stronger. And that is just the tip of the comet over what is in there, if we can properly reverse engineer that cloaking device from the corvette we will have the ability to cloak all our ships."

Deera looked excited and Haron nodded with a slight smile, having better weapons was certainly a big advantage. They had been caught off guard in the last war, however they would not be in the next one. With the new facilities and staff available to them not just across their new territory but in the companies they controlled much greater things were possible. Mandalorian companies were far better at weapon systems and power distribution than many of their rivals and Incom certainly would benefit from a collaboration. How much their starfighters could be improved was certainly thinking about.

"Well I am hoping we can just settle down now." Neville said putting an arm around Hannah who nodded as she leant into him. They had good reason to want that as at last their child, a boy they had named Frank after Neville's own father had been born. Neither would be leaving Reijar any time soon and already were dealing with the restless nights and other things that came with a baby. Lelia meanwhile had already started walking and Haron was dearly hoping to spend more time with her, Ara and Deera now they did not have a war to fight.

Luna meanwhile was quiet, unusual for her and they all noticed. Turning to her they all looked with concern and she took a moment to realise it, she frowned before saying with trepidation.

"I am sorry for being so distracted, but recently I have been having some strange and unclear visions. I can hardly make head nor tails of them but every time I have one I am filled with an overwhelming sense of dread." Luna told them with some discomfort. All of them now frowned too as Luna was the best seer of all of them and if she had picked up on some future problem it was better to listen.

"Is there anyway to clear up the visions?" Deera asked, being the least experienced with the force she had little knowledge of visions. Many of them shared uneasy looks but Luna had one avenue left to try.

"I will use one of the meditation crystals from the vault to try and achieve a deeper and clearer vision but all I can suggest in the meantime is we keep our eyes open." Luna said with uncertainty that it would work but hopefully she would learn something useful.

They were all then distracted by a bleeping from the desk, Haron went over to see just what it was but before he got there another ping sounded meaning another message had arrived.

Haron sat down and called them up, wondering just who had contacted him like this rather than by holo? The first message was written from Prime Minister Almec on behalf of Duchess Satine Kryze, inviting him to appear at her court. While it was written very politely and was posed as a genuine invitation the fact that Satine hadn't written it herself was telling. She hadn't wanted to contact him herself which as a fellow house leader was a big insult on her part and he suspected she wanted to scold him for the recent war and him actually fighting it.

He shook his head, her arrogance was astounding and he would have ignored it but the second message made the trip much more interesting.

Many of the other Mandalorian House Leaders had been watching the war and were interested in meeting him on Mandalore in secret, using his meeting with Satine as cover. This definitely was worth attending, it was a chance to test the waters with the other house leaders and see if they would be either friend or foe.

Looking up from his desk at the others who were looking at them intently he told them with a slight frown.

"I have been 'invited' to two meetings, one with the Duchess Satine to 'discuss' my recent conduct. The other is with some of the other House Leaders."

All of them took that information in with frowns and wondered just what the hell they were going to be hit with now, they had only just finished a war damn it they didn't want another one. Ara and Deera however being raised as Mandalorians understood the situation better.

"Almec wants to find out if you will be causing Satine or him any problems now we have grown so much stronger. Satine probably wants to try to lecture you on how fighting a war to save our lives was...wrong." Deera said with anger at the bitch that had left House Ordo alone in its darkest hour. Ara nodded in agreement before adding her own analysis.

"And the House Leaders want to see if we will be a threat or an ally, not to mention see how you deal with Satine." Ara said with an annoyed frown.

"Well we shall make our feelings known, I won't start anything but if that stupid idealist thinks I will simply do as she says or accept a telling off like a naughty child than I will tell her where she can stick her principles. In regards to the other house leaders, well I will see if we can find some allies or who is a potential enemy." Haron said.

Ara nodded before getting up to say.

"I'll go with you, strength in numbers but first there is the matter of our wedding." She said, mentioning that under the law neither was currently wed and it was high time they did something about it. Haron nodded.

"Find the local magistrate, we don't need a big ceremony." Haron said and Ara nodded.

So they waited while the magistrate they got dressed in their armour as was the custom, the others stayed to act as witnesses. Haron and Ara smiled slightly as the old man in full armour appeared and without a question they began the quick ceremony.

Ten minutes later, they were once again legally married.

That night Haron and Ara for the first time in so many years shared a bed, this time however the awkwardness and reluctance were long gone. Haron kissed her gently and she eagerly wrapped her arms around his shoulders as they deepened their embrace, not going to waste any more time by fighting the inevitable.

Sundari, Mandalore…A Week Later…

A Kom'rk class transport zoomed across the desert surface of Mandalore, seeing it made Haron even more annoyed at the Jedi and Republic, it had been seven centuries since they had been bombarded by them and still they hadn't managed to undo the damage caused. The fact the planet still had a breathable atmosphere was a miracle in itself.

The massive domed city of Sundari finally came into view, Haron and Ara both looked out from the cockpit and was impressed at its size and good construction. While their people were of course known for being among the best warriors in the galaxy they were extremely good engineers too.

The landing pad came into view and their pilots quietly co-ordinated their landing with calm efficiency. Haron nodded before leaving the cockpit with Ara and the two guards they had brought with them, neither really needed or wanted it but it was expected and better to have some extra muscle in case something went wrong. It was for this same reason that they were wearing their armour and weapons regardless if it caused offence or not.

The boarding ramp descended and they disembarked while their pilots stayed with the ship, ahead of them they saw a man walking forward to greet them in the busy port. He was a fair bit taller than normal with slim features along with blond hair and violet coloured eyes. His robes were relatively simple in their design but made of expensive materials and the flanking Protectors showed he was someone of importance.

"Greeting Duke and Duchess Ordo and congratulations on your recent wedding along with your impressive victory in the war. I am Prime Minister Almec and on behalf of her highness the Duchess Satine Kryze. It is my pleasure to welcome you to Mandalore." The man said with a smooth diplomatic voice. Haron and Ara however saw beyond the smile he was wearing, the man was kissing ass incarnate. He was trying to butter them up before they met with Satine perhaps because he knew things were going to go poorly.

Ara who was the better diplomat of the pair spoke.

"I thank you for meeting us Prime Minister, it is a pleasure to be invited to see the homeworld of all Mandalorians." Ara said with a smile that reminded Haron of a shark sizing up its prey, he smiled himself knowing just how strong and cunning a woman he had married.

"It is my pleasure, now we had best make our way to the palace. The Duchess eagerly awaits your arrival." Almec said and led them over to a skimmer, they all climbed on and it took off at high speed through the city. Seeing it for the first time Haron and Ara were deeply impressed, all the space inside was used to the greatest effect but unlike Coruscant and other worlds like it their buildings had been created with great artistic flair but in shades of dark greys and blues with some golden accents here and there.

"It is a most impressive city, far better designed than others I have seen." Haron said trying his best to be diplomatic and so latched onto the most truthful thing he could think of. Almec seemed happy with this and nodded in agreement.

"It is the crowning glory of Mandalorian architecture. Ah here we are." Almec told them as the dark bronze arcs of the palace entrance appeared. Flying inside the narrow entrance the number of Protectors around them rose substantially but all were carrying their traditional stun batons rather than blasters or in fact any lethal armament and wearing the impractical ceremonial armour. No doubt at Satine's insistence, it was disappointing to see it but they put that aside as they were led by Almec to the throne room. Their guards and the fact they were in full armour seemed to unsettle the Protectors who looked at them with suspicion but Haron, Ara and their two warriors cared little for their comfort.

Soon they arrived at the throne room and saw the white marble floor that lined the floor, the Mandalorian designs in the windows, the strange light fittings and the awful looking painting of the duchess on the side wall. On the other side of the room was the throne, a golden coloured high backed chair with no one on it.

Both Haron and Ara sighed silently to themselves, a pointless power ploy making them wait for her to arrive. Almec they noticed suddenly seemed agitated and they felt it coming off him in waves, clearly she was supposed to be here already and but no one said anything as they didn't want to bother with small talk.

A few minutes rolled by and the tense atmosphere clung on until at last the Duchess chose to make her appearance with a group of Protectors and a few members of her council. She was older than either of them but she did still have some youthful softness in her features. However her clothes while flattering her trim figure did nothing to help their opinion of her, green and blue dress robes with accents of purple and pink here and there and then there was the pointlessly elaborate headdress and oversized earrings she wore on her head.

Her expression was one of aristocratic arrogance and disdain the moment she saw them and they didn't need the force to feel her disgust at the armour and weapons they were carrying.

"So the successful conquerors see fit to meet me here." She said with dismissal aimed solely at them as she lifted her skirts to make her way up the small steps the throne. The impractical nature of the outfit only increased their disdain for her in turn. Made worse when the throne behind her lit up in a silly light show when she sat on it.

"Duchess Satine, I bring greetings from House Ordo and the clans who follow us." Haron said minding his manners hoping that perhaps the meeting might go a little more smoothly however it was not to be as Satine said with derision.

"Yes, many of which were forced to serve you after you defeated them in a pointless squandering of life. One that you were so determined to carry out that you ignored all potential of a peaceful resolution." She said with sudden sharpness.

Haron and Ara's demeanour instantly changed as did the rest of the people in the room at her pointed comment, Almec at the side looked at her with surprise and then disappointment. Clearly he had been hoping she would at least try to be polite but it seemed she could not help herself.

"For a peaceful resolution to any conflict my lady there must be a desire for peace on both sides." Ara said with cold clipped tones. The way she had said my lady was also with sarcasm and a little heat.

"And they attacked us first." Haron said with annoyance now. "We have the right to defend ourselves and you I might add had the opportunity to enforce a peace by calling on the other clans and houses to force a settlement. An option you failed to take advantage of...the same way that you left my house to struggle in its time of need." Haron pointed out, reminding her of the responsibilities her position came with.

Ara did give him a little jab with annoyance at his outburst but it was half-hearted as he was right. She was the Mandalore and it was her job to rule their people and keep them united, a duty she was failing so completely at it was surprising there hadn't been more wars.

Satine however was not willing to accept any accusation of a mistake on her part and her face became slightly twisted with anger as she spoke even more sharply to them.

"War is Intolerable!" She said with anger. "I will not be deceived by anyone into being a part of it, the moment we commit to fighting we have already lost."

A tense silence followed that statement as Haron and Ara glared at Satine who glared back at her. Ara eventually broke it with a statement of her own.

"If one lived in a tiny little box and shut out the rest of the universe perhaps there would be no war or fighting but not one truly can. Reality always finds a way in eventually and the fact that you believe pacifism is not only sustainable but able to protect itself is rather alarming...especially given the harsh and cold reality of the galaxy outside." Ara told her with cold detachment. "Your powerlessness during the war proves you have no claws or will to do what you have to do for the many worlds you are meant to rule and protect."

"So we will do what we must to protect our own. There is nothing more to be gained from this meeting, good day Duchess." Haron finished before he, Ara and their guards turned their backs to her and left the room silently.

-x-

Seeing the Ordo delegation leave Almec felt a very strong headache coming on as he was faced with a major problem caused by his monarch.

"Duchess! We needed Ordo on our side to make sure your rule was safe! With the increasing violence of the Death Watch and potential for uprising we need a strong ally and House Ordo has the power to overthrow you by themselves now. Should they take up arms against you it would be a disaster." He urged her, worried for not just destruction an uprising would cause but also for his own position should the Old Ways come back again. He had spent far too many years carving himself a position of power in Mandalorian Society and here Satine was about to bring it all down around them.

"I will not be questioned in my own home Prime Minister, especially not be war mongers." Satine said with anger, her temper on the edge of exploding. "None of them wanted peace and would rather slaughter others to satisfy some kind of primitive notion of honour! We will be better off without them, now I will retire for the day." She said hotly and flounced out of the room leaving a worried Almec behind.

He had no chance of reminding her that 'primitive notion of honour' was what was keeping her in power. It was only right and just to challenge the Mandalore if you have great and appropriate cause, so far none of the houses capable of overpowering the Protectors had done so but if the Duchess continued with her present course it would surely lead to disaster. Eventually someone would come up with a way to pose the challenge and she would be powerless to stop it.

Later that night after finding themselves lodgings for everyone in their party Haron and Ara came to a small dwelling in the lower reaches of the city.

It was a tiny place and one could easily miss it if you weren't looking for it which of course made it ideal for a secret meeting. Haron and Ara arrived on time with their men and saw five other house leaders with a small number of guards waiting for them. Each had different colour schemes to denote their houses and made Haron wonder if they should come up with an Ordo colour scheme after all, just to make them stand apart easier.

"I see the houses are well represented." Haron said as they walked into the room, looking from each of them in turn. "Farr, Cadoruso, Kast, Lok and Taken. Not all the houses since our people have not been truly united in centuries but the strongest and most capable houses all the same." Haron said knowing many of them by name and by reputation.

Duchess Ceta Farr was the leader of House Farr, named for her famous ancestor. Ceta was a blonde human in her early thirties with armour in light blue and white, her feelings were serious and focused. She was also known for being perhaps the most honourable house leader of all and a stickler for the codes and laws of their society.

Duke Mors Lok was a giant of a human male, standing just over seven feet tall and with muscles larger than most men could dream of. Armour for his house was red and gold in colour and more than that he was known for being broody and respectful.

Duke Harlan Cadoruso was the only one to be smiling at them and seemed eager to welcome them, Haron returned to the smile and it was perhaps because they were distantly related. Haron's maternal grandmother had been a Cadoruso and while it had not been enough to get her family's aid in the recent war they maintained a friendly relationship with each other.

Duke Yal Takan was a stickly thin man in his late fifties, easily the oldest man in the room but his eyes were razor sharp and his face stern and unyielding.

And finally Duchess Lila Kast, a very old woman with a face covered in scars and missing an eye. Her reputation as a hunter of both animals in the wild and people in the wider galaxy came before her like a cloud. She had prided herself on being the best hunter in the galaxy and if some creature was said to be a match for her then she would not stop until she had not only hunted it, but beaten it.

They were a mixed bunch and represented some of the most powerful factions in Mandalorian society, it was a poorly hidden secret that these houses talked to each other but it was not so well known that they were allied together so closely. The fact that his faction would not only vastly increase their power if joined with theirs or potentially tear it down if they became enemies now made the point of this meeting clear.

"Then perhaps we should get down to business." Ceta said without wasting any-more time and cutting to the heart of the issue. "You know as well as us that Satine Kryze is leading us all to ruin, making the same mistakes and assuming everyone will go along with what she says because it is 'the right thing to do' at least in her mind. We need a united front if we are going to protect ourselves and the clans sworn to us, something that would be easier with your help." She told them plainly.

"Then we are on the same page, similar thoughts have been preying on our minds too." Ara said as she sat down, Mors looked at her with suspicion.

"Your family is allied to House Vizsla and Pre was meant to be your husband. Vizsla was considered for this alliance but his zealotry and greed made us exclude him, while none of us would conspire with outsiders to gain power...he would. How can we be sure you are not his little agent in our alliance?" He questioned and the room went silent and the tension rose instantly. Haron was about to speak but felt Ara's warning not to interfere so he stayed quiet as much as it troubled him to be not be able to defend his wife.

Ara became very calm and spoke coldly to Lok.

"I refused to be married to that man, a man that tried to force himself on me before we were even officially engaged. Rather than be forced into that marriage from hell I fled my family and have cut them out of my life completely. That surely shows just how far I am willing to go and forget my past Duke Lok." She told them.

They all stayed quiet at that, cutting your family out of your life was the most drastic and difficult thing for a Mandalorian to do. Now none of them knew that her relationship with them had been far from ideal but they nodded, not sure if she was spinning a tale for their benefit or not but accepted her at face value for now.

Haron angry at the accusations levelled against his wife swallowed his temper and decided to make a proposal.

"I agree with the idea we have to be ready for future conflict, the galaxy outside is already unsettled with the disputes between the Republic and the Separatists. When war does eventually break out as I think it will then Mandalore will not be able to avoid it forever whatever Satine thinks. Capital ships or larger warships for now are out of our reach but there are things we can do to improve our capabilities. A new project at MandalMotors called the Canderous-class Assault Tank. It is still in its early stages but if they can deliver on all they promise it will be; shielded, a repulsor tank so terrain cannot deter it, hold a crew of three, carry a Concussion missile launcher and more importantly two mass driver cannons which can cut through energy shields. The design has always suffered problems but I think we have learned enough to make it work. Get those tanks in good enough numbers with our warriors in support and they could cut through anything." Haron told them, while their families had shares in the company too most didn't really pay attention to what the company did as long as it made money.

The sound of what this tank could do and the implications of them having such a good ground vehicle at their disposal caught their complete attention, while it was not fully restoring their fighting force to the glorious and powerful state it had once been it was a start. They could help fund the tank's development and keep it to themselves when it was completed.

Duke Cadoruso nodded with a big smile now on his face getting to his face and offering Haron a hand.

"I know I didn't help you in the war but I will not forget again."

Haron took a moment to consider this before reaching out his hand and shaking Harlan's. The tension was broken as no only did they have their allies but they were not alone in their concerns for the future and would not have to face those struggles alone when they came.

It was a step forward both Haron and Ara realised, a step towards the Mandalorians potentially being united as a people once again.

Reijar, Ordo System…Same Time...

Luna was unsettled as she sat down in the forest grove she had discovered, it was isolated and allowed her to meditate without the distraction of others around her. The large pearl white crystal sat in front of her and she took a deep, calming breath and let herself go into the force.

Although her eyes were closed she could almost see the blinding light of the crystal as the force surged and her unique connection to the force joined with it.

Then in the blink of an eye, her reality shattered.

Luna found herself in a maelstrom of images and sounds, rushing past her at a speed that seemed impossible to follow. She wheeled around and saw war gripping the galaxy, armies of droids fighting Jedi and men in white armour while a dark cloaked figure manipulated them all like a puppet-master.

She turned again and saw Mandalore in the grip of civil war, warriors fighting with each other and the planet falling into chaos.

The Jedi, betrayed by the men in white and gunned down on the spot.

Then other men in white armour with helmets like a skull appeared and marched all over worlds including Mandalore while the puppet-master with his dark helmeted enforcer sat at the centre of the web, the chilling sound of the enforcer's breathing sent a chill up her spine as her mind reeled with all that she was seeing.

Then lights of hope started appearing all across the galaxy as people began to raise up against the puppet-master and his pawns even on Mandalore as a red haired woman tried to lead them. But she saw the white armoured soldiers cut down the Mandalorians till only a few remained.

She saw a planet she didn't recognise, so beautiful and full of life being blown away by a huge monstrosity of a ship with a green beam that reminded Luna so much of the killing curse.

So much death, so much destruction.

Luna screamed as she broke the visions, a wave of force energy blasting out from around her. Throwing stones into the air and levelling trees for twenty metres around. She fell to her knees, tears running down her face, she didn't fully understand all that she had seen but she realised enough.

At some point there would be a great war, orchestrated by some dark puppet-master to destroy all his enemies and the first to fall would be the Jedi. It was she realised to her horror a Sith plot but she had not been able to see any of his features if it even was a he. She just couldn't be sure of their identity.

Once the Jedi were gone they would create some kind of dictatorship across the galaxy and violently force their will on everyone everywhere. All individuality and freedom suppressed, she was revolted at the mere thought of it. People would fight but she could not see if they would succeed and so many would die even if they did.

She was so shaken that she dearly wished she could call up her old Patronus, the beautiful blue hare had always been a comfort to her in her youth, brought about by her memories of spending time with her friends. As she drew on those memories and the new ones she had made here in the galaxy since their rebirth to gain some comfort she was shocked when suddenly it appeared, dancing around her like it had back on Earth.

She looked up with her mind so confused now she couldn't understand how she could have conjured it without a wand, it was such a hard to cast even with one and no one had ever managed it without a wand. But then she looked and saw her hand was still holding the large kyber meditation crystal she had been using and it was glowing still.

Her hand moved from the crystal and regrettably the hare disappeared, but she then put her hand on the crystal again and repeated the process and to her joy the hare reappeared.

A powerful magical crystal she thought with amusement at her lack of understanding, one capable of bonding to a person just like a wand. Why had she not seen it before?

As she touched the crystal, revelled in the feelings of positive energy all around her and enjoying her dancing hare patronus she saw images from her visions again ones that hinted of a way to stop the nightmare she had seen or at least lessen its impact.

A united Mandalorian people standing together to resist, fighting like they hadn't in thousands of years. A new force group standing there to fight with them wearing the same armour and holding the same values, using their connections to others to give them strength. That more Jedi might live to see the light still burn across the galaxy to could help stave off the darkness.

It didn't have to be such a nightmare she realised with joy, they could do something about it.

But only if they acted quickly.

Concordia, Mandalore System…

Pre Vizsla had reason to be both happy and angry today.

He had like many of others monitored the war between Bralor, Awaud and Ordo. He had hoped that they might destroy Ordo, that House was a disgrace to all things Mandalorian in his mind especially as they had challenged his family's right to rule. Their victory and massive increase in power had angered him greatly as instead of dying out like they should have done, they had only grown stronger and become more respected by the rest of their people as a result.

However he thought to himself, there was a silver lining to this extremely large cloud.

Satine had proved her stupidity and made a fool of herself in front of Ordo and made them her enemy. Insulted them right to their faces and acted like a high and mighty fool, for a woman that had no allies amongst their people it was an extremely stupid move he thought with a smirk at her idiocy.

He had actually feared for a moment that Ordo might actually become her supporters as while they were Old Way supporters Almec might try and charm them and Ordo was, Pre admitted reluctantly extremely powerful. They could probably overthrow Satine on their own if they wanted but they didn't which only confirmed to his mind that they weren't truly Mandalorian.

He was looking for support to mount a coup while pursuing a campaign of fear to make people realise how truly incapable Satine was at protecting them, but none of the other houses would aid him. House Vizsla were the rightful rulers of Mandalore but none of the other houses wanted to acknowledge it so he would look outside their space for help.

He looked down at the fighting circle behold and saw his newest recruit standing there, fighting against other warriors to prove her worth.

When Bo Katan Kryze had shown up wanting to join Death Watch he had been to say the least dubious but her spirit was so strong he had been forced to re-evaluate his initial thoughts, her belief in the Old Ways was nearly as strong as his and she fought like a warrior born, picking up skills quickly.

It astonished him how she could be so different from her sister and more to the point she had given him something...a piece of information that honestly was more valuable than any other he had ever considered. A secret deal Satine had made which potentially could destroy her. A mistake that could cost her everything.

He had wanted to use it the moment he had learned of it, it had been so delicious that he had only just managed to resist. While revealing it now would be damaging to her he needed to find a more impactful moment to use it, one where it would cause the maximum amount of damage.

It had actually made him forget about Ordo stealing his future wife for awhile.

Ara Wren should have been his wife, she had been promised to him he had raged when first hearing that she had not only returned to Mandalorian Space after fleeing their engagement, but she had even gone as far as marrying Haron Ordo.

If there was a way to rub his face in it more than that Pre couldn't conceive of it. Ursa Wren, the new Countess of Krownest and leader of Clan Wren had assured him that she didn't accept it but that meant little as he would never dream of touching her now. The knowledge that Ara had been excommunicated from her family did not help either.

That bitch had laid with an Ordo and was corrupted by him.

She along with the rest of House Ordo would pay when he finally managed to gain the power and respect he deserved.

Reijar, Ordo System...A Week Later…

The gunship carrying Haron and Ara landed early that morning and the pair disembarked from their ship, Deera stood there with Lelia in her arms. They walked up to them smiling and gave each other a hug, Haron raised the little girl up in his arms after taking her from Deera, causing her to squeal in delight and laugh in her adorable way.

The three of them were still smiling as they went to Haron's office to inform them of what had happened on Mandalore. Hannah and Neville listened and smiled at them having the alliance with the other houses as none of them had expected anything from Satine.

Luna however was distracted and all of them noticed, slowly as Haron and Ara finished their report they all turned their attention to her and looked worried. She suddenly realised and sighed before explaining.

"I managed to see a glimpse of the most likely future and it was not good." She said with depression. "A war that will come soon leads to the raise of a new Sith Empire from the ashes of the Republic and even the Mandalorians will be crushed beneath its boot heel."

The silence in the room was immediate and extremely tense, none of them doubting her even if predicting the future was at best a somewhat informed guessing game. All of them knew that a war was probably in the offing with the Republic and the CIS very soon and given the rampant corruption while hard to believe the Republic could become that it was certainly not impossible.

Especially if the Sith were involved.

The Mandalorians were often pawns of the Sith and suffered for it many times, taking advantage of their rivalry and hatred of the Jedi to use them for their own gain. The trouble was it could easily happen again as some moron with a lust for power fell for Sith lies.

All of them were silent as the implications of this sank in but Luna did mention something else to try and inject some hope into the situation.

"However there was another future, one which wasn't so dark. But it is only possible if we get ready now, be prepared for the worst. We need to seek out new resources, improve our army and navy and so much more so when the Empire rises."

"Could we stop it rising?" Hannah said no liking the idea of having to fight a Sith Empire the size of the Republic. Luna thought for a moment but said eventually.

"Perhaps but I doubt it, this Sith Lord was a living embodiment of the Dark Side, more cunning and dangerous than any in thousands of years. To turn the Republic against the Jedi like I saw and turn the democracy into a Fascist Dictatorship? This is a plan long in the works and even then we need to prepare in case we fail, perhaps by sending scouts into the systems closest to us in Wild Space. The force tells me its important but how I don't know." Luna told them.

Exploring Wild Space was dangerous, the routes weren't charted and often full of hazards but potentially it was extremely rewarding. Worlds with new resources to fuel them, bases no one could know about. Haron nodded and said.

"I will see about finding some hyperspace scouts to look into it, perhaps our force insights can help a little but is there anything else that can help?" Haron asked aware now of the mammoth task ahead of them and not wanting to gamble on Wild Space when their time might be extremely limited. His own mind wondering how much of Revan's Horde could be useful to them given the situation.

Luna then smiled and raised a small kyber crystal which she had been holding in the palm of her hand, all of them were confused at first until to their astonishment she cast the patronus right in front of them.

As the hare danced around the room she explained.

"A kyber crystal is a perfect channel for the living force, a way to channel our powers in a new and brilliant way if we use it as a foci. This will give us and the new force order we will create a tremendous advantage over the Jedi and the Sith." Luna said with a smile, her dreamy expression coming back as she revelled in her powers again.

The others smiled too, true it meant finding their own source of Kyber crystals to make this potential order of theirs sustainable which was going to be difficult to hide from the Jedi who monitored such sites closely but it could be done. For those from Earth it was a true blessing as soon they would have full access to their powers once again.

The Galactic Senate, Coruscant…

Sheev Palpatine smiled in his gentle and unassuming way to the senators who were boring him so much that not for the first time either he wanted to just blast them with his lightning and revel in their screams. The dark side roared like a beast inside to do just that, to cast off this image he had spent decades creating of the caring and wise chancellor and just be who he really was...but he suppressed it and told them.

"I see your points and understand them, I assure you I will not permit this republic to be split in two. I have already dispatched many ambassadors to see to the errant worlds and convince them to rejoin us."

The senators didn't even need the force to be convinced, his act was so good and it honestly made him sneer inside at how easy they like the rest of the galaxy was to manipulate. Like the Jedi who now were working for the Sith and didn't even know it. More than once it had made him laugh to himself at their stupidity and blindness, especially their supposed great grandmaster who for all his supposed wisdom could not see what was right before his eyes.

Still at least something good had come from his interactions with the Jedi...Skywalker.

He was more powerful than any other force sensitive he had ever seen and easy to manipulate, he would be perfect as an enforcer and new apprentice for the new order once the time was right and Dooku needed to be replaced.

But that was for the future, right now he turned his attention to the recent Mandalorian Civil War.

The war was confined to three of the houses there and would really have not even registered with him as it affected none of his plans but it did present some interesting new elements. House Ordo had emerged triumphant and now ruled over a vast area of space after wining with some interesting tactics, the leader seemed capable and at odds with the exceptionally foolish Satine Kryze. Maybe he would be a useful pawn when the time came.

He would have to find a way to bring him to Coruscant and see just what kind of person he was.