The Mandalorian sector, after the Great Purge, could not boast a large number of arriving or departing ships. The ravaged planet had nothing to trade. The weapons factories were destroyed, as were the mining shafts. And the Mandalorians only engaged in agriculture to the extent necessary to meet their own needs. Not to mention that the planet's surface had turned into a scorched desert.
Years later, the situation had improved slightly. Especially when MandalMotors entered the galactic market. Trade was slowly recovering, but there was still no large flow of ships in the sector.
Therefore, it was quite easy for the dispatchers of the Mandalorian capital spaceport to monitor the descent of a shuttle arriving from Coruscant with a representative of the Jedi Order on board.
The passenger shuttle descended briskly, but a little strangely. Or rather, so it seemed to one of the dispatchers. The ship was tossed from side to side as if some incompetent was sitting in the pilot's seat... or the braking engines were not coping with the load. But the pilot's declared carrying capacity of his unusually designed shuttle was around fifty tons. What needed to be crammed into the ship's cargo hold to cause such an overload?
However, this question should be a headache for customs, not the dispatcher. And so, with a clear conscience, the latter sent the last course corrections for the arriving ship and switched to controlling the takeoff of a cargo shuttle.
Meanwhile, at Duchess Kryze's palace, a group was being prepared for a solemn reception of unexpected guests from Coruscant.
Nearly three hours had passed since the holocommunication, giving Revan the necessary time to gather his allies at the palace. Unfortunately, even the most meticulous dispatchers could not keep the shuttle in orbit for longer without arousing suspicion. Meanwhile, a premonition told the former Jedi that the meeting would not go too well. However, those who managed to gather at the palace should be more than enough to repel a possible attack. After all, a shuttle cannot carry many fighters. The ship could only pose a threat if it was full of trained gifted individuals armed with appropriate weapons. But such an outcome was unlikely. After all, according to the Jedi, there are only a handful of Sith in the galaxy. Although Revan did not believe such assurances. Before Naboo, the Order generally held the position that there were no Sith at all, but the former Jedi himself had already met at least three.
The fact that the Force did not sense the presence of a large number of gifted individuals was somewhat reassuring. Even if they hide themselves, a large number of Force users gathered in one place will inevitably create some kind of resonance between them, making their presence still detectable. Now, besides Ronar Kim and, obviously, his Padawan, there was no one on board the shuttle.
"Avner, your... friends have arrived," Qui-Gon hesitated a little with the definition, drawing Revan's attention to the group that entered the throne room.
The procession was led by Tyra Nomad in full Mandalorian armor, on the belt of which numerous metal casings of grenades gleamed. In short, the mercenary looked as usual.
Behind her walked Mol, in his unchanging black hooded cloak. The Zabrak was well disguised. One could only sense him as gifted by concentrating.
"You!" Obi-Wan shouted, grabbing his sword.
... Well, Mol could also be recognized by someone who had already encountered him. After all, the feelings that the Force transmits about your opponent are hard to forget.
"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon called out to his student.
The Padawan, despite the fact that the Sith's appearance clearly agitated him, was in no hurry to rush into battle. After all, Djinn had managed to instill at least a sense of restraint and caution in his wild head.
"This is the one who almost killed you, Master!" Kenobi hissed through clenched teeth.
"I know," Qui-Gon replied calmly.
The Padawan turned his head to his mentor in surprise.
"And this doesn't bother you at all?"
"Feelings should not override reason. Control yourself, Obi-Wan, do not give in to anger, otherwise the Darkness will consume you in an instant," Djinn tried to calm his student.
And he succeeded. The Padawan's lightsaber remained on his belt, and Kenobi himself tempered his ardor a little.
Mol watched this scene with the calmness of a true Lord and an expression of superiority on his tattooed face. Revan involuntarily noted how much his student had changed since their first meeting. The progress in such a short period was simply astounding. The Zabrak had become much calmer, which helped him in mastering the Dark Side and lightsaber training. Without the influence of his first mentor, who sought to suppress and subjugate his student to protect himself, Mol began to reveal himself and develop as a very talented fighter and scout.
Revan was pleased with the Zabrak's progress.
On Naboo, Qui-Gon lost, in Revan's opinion, solely due to the will of the Force. In other words, circumstances coincided in such a way that the younger and more aggressive fighter managed to gain the upper hand over the not-so-young, but experienced Jedi.
However, now the former Sith was confident that his student would defeat any knight of the Order. Only Masters could cause him problems, and even then, not all of them. But there are no limits to perfection, so Revan planned to continue training, gradually bringing Mol up to the level of training that the Sith and Jedi were famous for during the Old Republic.
"Tyra, Mol, good to see you," Revan greeted his allies.
"Master," Mol bowed, with a barely perceptible smirk at Kenobi's reaction to such an address to his mentor.
"Avner," Nomad greeted the former Jedi with a nod.
"And... Almighty Force, what is this?!" Revan stared in shock at the last member of the group that arrived at the palace.
And there was something to see. HK, apparently, understood his Master's order in his own way - to dress accordingly, even though droids don't wear clothes at all. However, is a bandolier of thermal detonators and fragmentation grenades considered clothing? And a heavy rocket launcher on the back of a maniacal droid? Or an ACP repeater?
"HK, for the sake of Light and Darkness, what are you wearing?" Revan finally decided to ask the droid.
"With pride: I have prepared for a warm welcome, Master."
"Well, yes, what could be warmer than a thermal detonator?" Tyra chuckled, having already had enough of teasing the overly cautious mechanical killer.
"It's a rhetorical question," Revan hastened to add, noticing that HK was already preparing to deliver a lecture on the benefits of an additional set of ammunition.
The droid was not at all upset that he was not allowed to briefly guide a couple of dim-witted bags of meat.
"So, what do we have?" Revan decided to get to the point of the meeting.
"As you predicted, Master, a small fleet is gathering at a short jump distance, in an uninhabited system near transport route C-5447/VM," the Zabrak replied with a bow.
"Where did you get the information?" the former Jedi clarified.
"Clan Nomad has good intelligence," Tyra shrugged, interrupting Mol.
"That's right, Master. I received the information from an informant in the palace, and he, in turn, received it from Clan Nomad."
"Do you know what kind of ships they are?" Revan asked, not really hoping for a positive answer.
"Unfortunately, no. We only know the number, and even then, only based on registered hyperspace jumps," the Zabrak shook his head.
"How many?"
"Twenty-one jumps and, presumably, as many ships."
"Hmm, enough for a tight blockade," Revan mused thoughtfully, mentally picturing the scale of the problem.
Mandalore had no means to fight space forces. So, in space, there was practically nothing to oppose the probable enemy. Except for locally produced fighters. Although they carry powerful weapons and are well protected, they cannot withstand the fire of ship guns.
On the other hand, Revan, as a former commander of the Republic army, understood perfectly well that it was impossible to capture the planet without a ground operation. And in a surface battle, the Mandalorians would have every chance of victory. Not only is most of the population quite good at shooting, but two Jedi, a Sith, and Revan will also fight on the Duchess's side... not to mention a heavily armed insane killer droid.
"And what are we going to do with such a fleet?" Djinn was alarmed by the number of ships.
"First, we need to understand what kind of ships are heading our way. After that, we can come up with a way to neutralize them," Revan replied.
"You say that as if it will be easy," Kenobi shared his teacher's anxiety.
"I'm not saying it will be easy. However, ships from orbit can be removed not only by superior space forces," Revan shook his head.
"And how?" the Padawan did not stop.
"The Force," the former Jedi answered briefly.
"The Force? Are you going to throw the entire fleet from orbit using the Force?"
"Nothing is impossible for the Force," Revan smirked, "However, what you're talking about will have to be left as a last resort. There are less costly ways."
Theoretically, what the Padawan mentioned was possible. Size does not matter to the Force. But such a trick would require extraordinary concentration, not to mention that the gifted person must be truly STRONG! Even Revan doubted whether he would succeed or not.
"What ways?" Kenobi's place was taken by the Duchess.
"Sabotage, diversion, capture," Tyra answered instead of Revan in an ordinary tone.
"But..."
Satine was not allowed to finish. There was no time for arguments.
"Duchess, believe me, we will have time to think about this later. For now, we have a representative of the Order approaching, if he is not lying," Revan interrupted Kryze.
"Yes, you are right," the ruler of Mandalore agreed.
Satisfied with the answer, Revan turned to the mercenary.
"Tyra, what's the news from the clans? Are they ready for an attack?"
"The clans will not act against the Watch. The hostages are still in Vizsla's hands. So there will be no open confrontation," Nomad shook her head.
"Bo-Katan has already found the location of several groups of hostages. A little more time, and we will have the coordinates of the rest. But... we don't have time," Revan finished grimly.
Tyra nodded in agreement.
"Then, we will act according to the situation," the former Jedi concluded.
"Enthusiastically: I love improvisation," HK-47 stated.
"Well, your improvisations... although no, now is the time for them," Revan realized.
"With readiness: The bags of meat have no chance."
The next moment, the door to the throne room burst open, and the aforementioned assistant hurried to approach the Duchess.
"The shuttle is approaching," he reported to Satine.
"Thank you. We will soon send a welcoming party to the landing pad," Kryze replied.
According to protocol, the Duchess was supposed to meet guests in the throne room with her retinue. Her representative or a group of representatives was supposed to go to the pad. Since a Jedi was arriving on the planet, Jedi were sent to meet him. Namely, Qui-Gon and Revan. Obi-Wan remained with Satine to provide protection in case of an unforeseen situation. Tyra also decided to stay in the throne room so as not to crowd into a not-so-large landing pad.
Besides the Jedi, Mol and HK were sent to meet the guests. Both were supposed to take positions in hiding, concealing their presence. Their help would only be needed if Revan's worst suspicions turned out to be true.
The "welcoming" group reached the pad just in time. A point appeared in the distance, which grew larger with each passing moment, gradually taking on the shape of a spaceship. However, Revan could not determine the model. Even considering that the former Sith had familiarized himself with the main models of this era, he could not identify the technology.
"What kind of shuttle is this?" asked Djinn, clearly also in confusion.
"It looks like a T-2a and a Neimoidian 'Quiver' at the same time," Revan tried to guess the model.
"It flies strangely," Djinn remarked.
And indeed, the ship was tossed from side to side. The behavior was atypical for a piloted transport... unless...
"It's overloaded! The brakes aren't coping," Revan guessed.
"Overloaded? Did they put a tank in the hold? Such a shuttle should have a not-so-low carrying capacity, judging by its size," Qui-Gon wondered.
"I sincerely hope not. We'll do without tanks," Revan grumbled.
The pilot of the transport somehow managed to stabilize the flight, and the machine approached the pad with confidence, and then landed quite smoothly on the durasteel surface.
Revan focused on sensing the ship's crew. He needed to make sure there wasn't a whole squad of Sith on board... although it was unlikely. There were definitely gifted individuals on board, more than one, but he couldn't determine the exact number.
"There are several gifted individuals on board," Revan informed his group.
"How many?" Qui-Gon immediately decided to clarify.
"I don't know. More than one, but less than ten."
"Perhaps his Padawan came with Ronar?" Djinn suggested.
"Anything is possible. But it's better to be prepared."
"All right," the Jedi nodded.
Mol and HK also confirmed their readiness via the active communication channel. In case of an attack, the guests would be in for a surprise.
Meanwhile, the shuttle completed its landing procedures and was already opening its cargo ramp. The fact that the guests were preparing to exit through the cargo bay, rather than the passenger deck hatch, was already alarming.
Without taking his eyes off the lowering ramp, Revan prepared for battle. The Force flowed through his body as usual, and his hands touched the hilts of his lightsabers. Djinn was also tense, but preferred to maintain a less threatening posture, still hoping for peaceful negotiations.
And... his hopes, it seems, were justified.
Two figures in traditional Order robes appeared in the doorway. Kima Revan recognized one of them, having seen his hologram during the conversation with the Duchess. Beside him, clearly, was his Padawan. The apprentice was a head taller than his master, which was not surprising for a Cerean. Both guests exuded warmth and friendliness, with no hint of threat.
"Master Ronar Kim," Qui-Gon greeted the familiar face first.
"Master Qui-Gon Jinn," the guest bowed in return.
His "apprentice" repeated the gesture.
"It's good to see you well," Jinn continued. "Is this your Padawan?"
"Yes, meet Tal-Nar-Pal."
"Greetings, Master Jinn," the Padawan bowed once more.
"A pleasure to meet you, Tal-Nar-Pal," Qui-Gon replied.
Revan, maintaining a friendly smile, watched the Jedi and his Padawan intently. Something was wrong. Although they actively feigned joy at meeting fellow Order members, the Force warned of imminent danger. And if Kim or his apprentice turned out to be the source of the danger... He definitely decided not to turn his back on them.
"And who is with you? I thought your Padawan was Obi-Wan, wasn't he?" Ronar looked at Revan with surprise, as if just noticing him.
"This is not my Padawan. Allow me to introduce Knight Avner Van, also a member of the Order. You probably haven't met him, as Avner spent a long time outside the Temple walls, traveling and learning the secrets of the galaxy," Jinn took it upon himself to explain, for which Revan was grateful.
"Oh? Really?" Kim examined Revan more closely.
"A pleasure to meet you, Master Kim," the former Jedi bowed, not ceasing to watch the guests.
Despite the Master's attempts to maintain a casual conversation, his Padawan constantly looked around, as if searching for something... or perhaps someone? Could he have sensed Maul? Or was he simply feeling the anxiety that the Force undoubtedly instilled?
"Likewise, Knight Van. Tell me, did you manage to unravel the secrets of the galaxy in the end?" Ronar asked with a slight smile.
"I only got more confused," Revan joked.
"Is that so? Then you have become wiser than most Padawans and even Knights," Kim laughed in response.
"Why so?"
"Young Jedi are absolutely sure of their righteousness and the immutability of the knowledge they receive in the Temple. They are not ready to learn something new, they do not want to accept something unknown. Maximalism in its purest form," Ronar Kim explained, shaking his head.
"I'm sure they just lack experience. They should leave the Temple more often," Revan said friendly.
"Indeed, young Knight. You should take your own Padawan for training. Wisdom should be shared not only with the old," Kim laughed again.
Revan, meanwhile, thought that he already had a student... and not just one. He said nothing aloud, merely joining the Master's laughter.
"And where is Duchess Kryze?" Kim looked around. "I thought she would greet us."
Revan felt a light touch of the Force. Someone tried to read him. It was unlikely to be Master Kim. Too crude for an experienced Jedi. Yes, surprise flashed in his eyes... and displeasure. Perhaps it was the Padawan?
"The Duchess is waiting in the throne room. After all, the protocol of diplomatic contacts obliges her to meet representatives of the Council according to all the rules," Jinn explained.
"Oh, you shouldn't have gone to such trouble," Kim waved it off.
Falsehood. Revan felt it very keenly. And Ronar Kim was actively hiding his true emotions now.
"And yet, Master, why have you come to Mandalore?" Revan suddenly asked.
"Hmm? Of course, to help Qui-Gon and you, Knight Van. The Council decided you would need assistance."
"Really? The Council already knows I'm on Mandalore? They decided two Jedi wouldn't be enough?" the former Sith caught onto the slip of the tongue.
The Council did not know Revan was on Mandalore. At least, not for sure. Of course, Qui-Gon could have informed them of his presence, or, more likely, Kenobi. However, the second question was the main one. It was this that allowed him to catch his interlocutor in a lie.
"Of course, two are enough. But help never hurts," Kim replied with a smile.
The Council did not send him. He did not know that besides Qui-Gon, his Padawan was also on Mandalore.
Jinn understood this too. Revan felt Obi-Wan's teacher prepare for battle.
Unfortunately, Kim felt it too.
In the blink of an eye, a blue blade flared and lunged towards Qui-Gon's chest. However, a silver blade stood in its path, deflecting the blow aside.
Following his master, Tal-Nar-Pal also attacked. The Cerean wanted to help his master, but Qui-Gon stood in his way.
The first exchange of blows was brief and ended with the parties separating by a few steps, preparing for a new round.
"Request: Master, shall I destroy the annoying meat bags?" HK's voice came through the tiny earpiece.
"Too early," Revan waved it off, switching his silver saber to a reverse grip.
"Why, Ronar?" Jinn suddenly asked, without taking his eyes off his opponent.
"Why what?" Kim replied, also looking only at Revan.
"Why did you betray the Order?"
"Me?" Ronar shouted furiously. "It was you, son of a Hutt, who trampled all our principles! You and everyone else! The entire Order has rotted to the core! Darkness envelops the Temple! Sith rule the Senate!"
"What?!"
"Say you didn't know that! You, who let a Sith escape on Naboo! And you, who consort with them to this day!"
With his last word, Kim lunged at Revan, delivering a powerful overhead strike. However, the former Sith skillfully dodged the attack, simultaneously lunging forward. Kim miraculously dodged. The silver blade left a scorched mark on his brown robe.
Jinn and the Cerean also exchanged blows. Qui-Gon was more fortunate and managed to graze his opponent. However, the wound did not cause particular inconvenience to the Padawan. He hastened to prove this with a new attack, in which Jinn had to go on the defensive. He did not want to fight his brothers in the Order, as they were obviously misled...
"Oh, I've heard about your friend!" Ronar Kim continued. "This Avner Van! He's the one who spared the Sith! And now you're both here, on Mandalore, the homeland of our ancient enemies! How many times have they threatened the Republic? How many worlds have they destroyed? And you're helping them now?"
"What are you talking about? We're trying to prevent a civil war!" Jinn tried to object.
Revan remained silent. Despite the battle that had begun, he felt a threat far greater than his current opponent. Kim, with all his desire, was no match for an ancient master.
"You want to revive the Mandalore that we so painstakingly destroyed! I know everything! I have been told the truth!" Kim became agitated.
The darkness around them thickened. Revan felt it, as Jinn undoubtedly did.
"Listen!" Qui-Gon tried to appeal to reason.
"No! Enough lies and excuses! Too many have already given their lives because of the rot that has settled in the Order! Look at what we have become! Guardians of peace have become instruments of the Senate! We have weakened, while the Sith have only gained power! Now they are in the Senate, and don't deny it! The Order now serves THEM!" By the end of his angry tirade, Kim's eyes darkened, and Revan could swear he saw glints of fiery red in them.
It was urgent to stop the Jedi, who was sinking deeper and deeper into the Darkness. And Revan did the only thing he could.
He launched a swift attack on his opponent, with a feint forcing him to extend his saber forward, after which he deactivated his own blade and struck the Jedi's wrist with the hilt. Ronar Kim's lightsaber flew from his grip and rolled across the landing pad. Revan then delivered two more blows to Kim's torso and threw him several meters back.
The Padawan wanted to rush to his master's aid, but Jinn did not allow him to take a single step.
"Enough!" the former Sith roared. "This madness must end."
"This is not madness, it is reality," Ronar hissed, coughing.
"The Order still serves the Light. And by fighting amongst ourselves, we only..."
Revan was not allowed to finish.
"Shut up, son of a Hutt traitor! I know everything! The Republic is dying! The Order has already fallen, even if you haven't realized it yet! But I... but we will save the Republic and its people!"
"We?" Revan asked again.
At that moment, he felt a threat from the ship. Only excellent reflexes allowed him to avoid several blaster bolts fired from the darkness of the cargo hold.
And following the first shots, a real stream of droids poured out. They were the cursed Neimoidian B-1s, but there were very many of them!
Revan realized his mistake too late. He was looking for living beings on the ship, forgetting about the droids. Yes, B-1s are weak, but they are very light and compact. Considering the shuttle's carrying capacity, you could fit at least a hundred such machines into the cargo hold. And a hundred barrels is already a problem, even for someone gifted with foresight.
"HK! Now's the time!" Revan gave the order.
And at the same moment, from the direction of the palace entrance, the sound of a heavy ASR repeater was heard, sending a real rain of plasma towards the ship. There was no question of aimed fire from such a distance. But the fire helped to thin the droid ranks a little and distract them from attacking Revan and Qui-Gon.
Maul also hurried to join the battle.
Kim did not waste time and picked up his saber with the Force, re-engaging in combat with Revan, who was distracted by defending against blaster fire.
Suddenly, several mercenaries in light armor appeared on the cargo ramp and fired at the defending palace defenders. And if Revan managed to notice that the fighters were using electromagnetic weapons, then Qui-Gon reacted too late. Not only could the lightsaber he raised for defense not withstand the particle stream from the DEMP 2, causing Jinn to receive a painful wound on his right side, but the saber's emitter was also overloaded, causing the green blade to instantly disappear, leaving the Jedi disarmed.
"Qui-Gon!" Revan shouted, throwing his silver saber towards his comrade, simultaneously activating his black one.
Jinn caught the weapon and managed to block the Cerean's strike in time.
Meanwhile, Revan, deflecting Kim's blows, managed to grab one of the landing pad's railing panels with the Force and threw it towards the mercenaries, forcing them to take cover. One was unlucky, and the panel literally swept him away, taking him somewhere inside the ship.
But the surprises didn't end there.
"Kill the Duchess at all costs!" Kim shouted.
The next moment, at least a dozen droidekas rolled out of the transport's belly. But, contrary to Revan's expectations, who was ready to repel the new threat, the destroyer droids rushed past, straight towards the palace.
"Hutt! HK, Maul! Stop them!" Revan shouted, tied up in combat.
The Zabrak, who had already run up to the platform and was preparing to deliver a surprise blow to the Cerean, switched to a new target, but only managed to destroy one droid. HK took too long to deploy his heavy blaster, causing all his shots to miss the target.
"I'm not alone," Ronar Kim rasped, drawing Revan's attention.
The former Sith quickly understood the meaning of these words. A speeder flew over the heads of the fighters, and two people jumped off it. Both were humans and wore light armor. However, it wasn't this that attracted Revan's attention, but their weapons. The attackers used lightsabers. Green and blue blades cut through the air.
"We will save the Republic. Even if it means abandoning democracy," Kim grinned, his eyes already burning with gold.
"Shit," Revan hissed, realizing the situation had suddenly become complicated.
Maul was forced to switch to a new threat, engaging in combat with, presumably, Jedi. The Zabrak skillfully wielded his staff, initially successfully holding back both opponents, but then one of them abruptly withdrew from the fight and chose to break through to the main objective. The enemy rushed towards the palace. And there was no one to stop him. HK had left his position, going in pursuit of the droidekas to fulfill the Master's order.
Which, unfortunately, also gave the surviving B-1s the opportunity to switch back to Revan and his comrades.
Help from the palace was not forthcoming, which meant they had their hands full there too.
"Don't get distracted," the opponent of Maul snarled, forcing him to concentrate on his duel.
The opponent was skilled, very skilled. This was clearly not a Padawan, nor even a regular Knight. The fight promised to be difficult... but exciting.
The young Sith allowed the Dark Side to give him even more power, fueling it with his delight at the upcoming battle. Exactly as his mentor had taught him.
The scarlet staff met the green blade. The opponents sharply increased the tempo, trying to finish off their opponent as quickly as possible. The unknown Jedi initially held his own confidently against the Zabrak, but with each blow, he seemed to slow down. Maul got carried away and didn't react in time to a Force push. The opponent caught the young Sith and almost threw him off the landing pad. However, the Zabrak managed to get up in time and block a new lunge. Seizing the moment, Maul decided to use a move he had recently learned with his mentor's help and deactivated his staff right before the strike. The Tracatta performed by the Zabrak was clumsy, but he still managed to surprise his opponent, which proved fatal for him. Maul's scarlet blade pierced the opponent's chest, leaving him no chance of survival.
The delight of victory almost cost the Zabrak his life. With the death of the unknown, there were no more obstacles between Maul and the B-1 droids, which the mechanical shooters did not fail to take advantage of. And the young Sith was forced to switch to destroying the enemy's iron soldiers.
Meanwhile, Revan continued his fight with Kim. The fallen Ronar had become significantly stronger, but also more reckless. The ancient Jedi could still successfully deflect his attacks and even get distracted by mercenaries and droids, gradually reducing their numbers, but it was not easy.
The mercenaries' beams constantly tried to end Revan's life. The droids did not lag behind their organic colleagues. The former Sith could barely react to the attacks. This was the only explanation for the fact that Kim was still alive.
Allowing his anger to vent a little, Revan created a Force lightning and passed it through his saber. A wide swing caused the discharge to jump to the nearest droids, destroying six at once. The rest of the charge went to Ronar, who took it on his saber. Revan accompanied the blow with a Force push, which caused Kim to drop to his knees, exposing himself to the former Sith's armored boot.
Disoriented, Kim did not have time to react to the new attack, which resulted in his right hand, along with the saber clutched in it, being severed from his body just below the shoulder. Pain flooded Ronar's consciousness, but by some miracle, he remained on his feet. However, not for long. The black lightsaber blade pierced the fallen Jedi's chest only moments later. The lifeless body of the former Master fell to the platform, no longer posing a threat.
Almost simultaneously with Revan defeating his opponent, Jinn finished off Ronar's student. The Cerean received several stab wounds and lost his weapon, but was still alive. Qui-Gon stood over the defeated Padawan, who was clutching his wounds with his hands, and hesitated to deliver the final blow. He was still a child, a student, who had succumbed to the corrupting influence of his master. It was not his fault that they found themselves on opposite sides of the barricades. He was a Jedi... just like Qui-Gon himself.
Lost in heavy thoughts, Jinn missed an attack from a droid. The blaster bolt would have inevitably wounded the Jedi if Revan hadn't covered him.
"Jinn, now is not the time for doubt!" the former Jedi threw and headed to finish off the remaining droids.
Qui-Gon nodded grimly and with a wide swing severed the Padawan's chest, accompanying the blow with a Force push, which sent the unconscious Cerean's body flying to the ship's cargo ramp.
Revan saw that the wound was not fatal, but the Padawan would certainly not be able to fight for a long time. Well, that was also a solution.
Joining forces, the two Jedi and the Sith quickly dealt with the remaining mercenaries and droids. The tin cans were no match for their combined power.
"We need to return to the palace," Revan voiced the common thought.
No one argued.
Traces of battle were visible everywhere in the Duchess's residence corridors. Guards who stood in the way of droidekas and the unknown Jedi lay along the walls, dead. The attackers left no chance for the defenders.
But, to the credit of the palace guard. They did manage to defeat three droidekas. Another two were destroyed by the explosion of a thermal detonator. HK-47's work, no doubt.
The trio of gifted individuals burst into the throne room just as Obi-Wan decapitated the unknown Jedi. The Padawan himself was not unharmed either. It was evident that the battle had not been easy for him. Numerous scorch marks on his clothes, a wound on his back, and his left arm hung limply like a lifeless whip with a scorched stab wound on his shoulder.
Revan was suddenly drawn by a metallic clang somewhere to the right.
Slightly to the side of the entrance, HK was intently... beating the last droideka with its own severed manipulator with a blaster cannon.
"Instructive: You'll know better than to shoot at a protection object, you stupid bolt-filled box," the assassin droid monotonously said, driving the manipulator directly into the droideka's computational unit.
"Hmm," Maul grunted, either approvingly or impressed.
Kenobi, meanwhile, realizing that the battle was over, suddenly dropped his saber and began to fall backward.
"Obi-Wan," Jinn hurried to catch his student.
"I managed, Master," Kenobi whispered before passing out.
"Yes, you did well, young Padawan. I am proud of you," Jinn replied, having confirmed that his student was alive and had merely lost consciousness from overexertion.
"Duchess Satine!" Revan called out, wanting to make sure the key figure in his plan had survived.
The object of his search was found near the throne with a blaster in her hand and a stab wound on her thigh. Apparently, the Duchess had decided to abandon her pacifist ways and resorted to weapons, trying to save her life... or perhaps help her beloved.
The wound was not dangerous. The lightsaber had cauterized the vessels and stopped the bleeding at the moment of impact. The artery and bone were not affected, so a little bacta would quickly put Satine back on her feet.
"Are there no more enemies?" Maul asked, surveying the throne room.
Almost all of the Duchess's retinue had been destroyed. Their bodies lay near the throne with traces of lightsaber strikes. What was strange was that almost every one of them was armed.
"At least, not here," Jinn replied, having laid Kenobi on the floor and joined the examination of the hall.
"Duchess, can you hear me?" Revan brought Kryze to her senses.
Satin winced from a headache, then tried to move and cried out in pain from her leg.
"I... I'm fine," the girl hissed through clenched teeth, her voice raspy from pain.
"Which cannot be said about your retinue," Maul remarked.
Satin glanced at the bodies of the dead, and her face contorted with disgust.
"This is not my retinue," she almost growled.
"What? But they are in uniform..." Jinn started to object, but the Duchess interrupted him.
"This is not my retinue! I don't know how, but instead of those who swore me allegiance, traitors entered the throne room."
Qui-Gon approached one of the bodies and turned it over. The face was definitely not human, but resembled a reptile more. The ugly features looked more like a melted wax candle than the appearance of a native of Mandalore.
"Clawdites," Jinn breathed out in surprise.
"Shapeshifters?" Revan recognized the name of the race.
Representatives of this reptilian race were known for their ability to change their appearance. And those particularly gifted in disguise could even take on the appearance of another sentient being. The services of such mercenaries were expensive... Not to mention that Clawdites were rare outside their home planet. The reptiles preferred to stay on Zopan, fearing swift retribution if the Republic deemed them too dangerous. After all, a spy or assassin capable of changing their appearance... that's quite a threat.
"Someone really wants to kill you. Besides Death Watch," Jinn concluded.
"We've already discussed this. Death Watch is being helped by a Sith. It's his doing. And he's hiding somewhere in the Senate," Revan added.
"Until today, it was difficult for me to believe your stories about Sith and traitors in the Senate... but now," Kryze said, taking Revan's hand and getting to her feet.
"However, you were lucky that Obi-Wan was nearby. Otherwise, these scouts would have struck you in the back," Jinn said with pride, looking at the unconscious Padawan.
"It wasn't him," Satin objected.
"Not him? But who?" Revan turned his gaze to the bodies of the doubles.
They were definitely killed by a lightsaber.
"It was Risa Farr."
"Who?" Qui-Gon asked again.
"Risa Farr, my assistant. She turned out to be the only one among the entire retinue who wasn't replaced."
"Did she have a lightsaber?" Qui-Gon wondered.
"Yes, a red blade. It greatly surprised Obi-Wan, which is why Kenobi missed the Jedi's strike."
"The apostate," the Duchess corrected Jinn.
"Did you know that this Risa was gifted? That she could use the Force?" Revan asked.
"No. She was always an ordinary Mandalorian girl. Until today."
The former Jedi nodded to his thoughts. It was not surprising that she was not replaced by a double. A gifted person cannot be captured so easily, especially when they hide from everyone that they use the Force. So, it was her that Revan sensed then? Well, much falls into place. But on whose side is this Farr?
"Where is she?" the former Sith addressed the Duchess.
"I don't know. I was wounded by this Je... apostate. I lost consciousness," Kryze replied apologetically.
"Well, for now, this question will have to be postponed."
"It seems like it's all over," the Duchess looked around.
"Oh, no. I'm afraid it's just beginning," Revan stretched, looking out the window in the throne room ceiling.
Several Trade Federation landing craft appeared in the sky. The Naboo scenario was repeating itself. The planet was under siege.