Chapter 62: Mission Accomplished

A/N: Here's the new Chapter! Which also means the next four chapters are up on my for early access as well as the chance to vote on the direction of the story!

Time to blow this popsicle stand. But first... the kids.

-x-X-x-

Just when she thinks Boba is going to shoot her, a hand falls upon the Foundling’s shoulder. Rook blinks as the Jedi looks between the two of them and shakes his head.

“She could still be useful, Boba. And she owes you a debt, doesn’t she? So why not take her into your service, rather than offing her now?”

Rook tilts her head to the side as little Boba considers those words for a moment before glaring at Rook.

“Kneel.”

Slumping down to her knees, Rook watches as Boba seemingly ignores the Jedi’s words and brings a blaster up to her forehead, pressing the muzzle against the beskar of Rook’s helmet. She lets her eyes drift shut as Boba’s finger closes around the trigger, the blaster whining as it heats up a shot. And then… just like that the whine comes to an end and the blaster is pulled away.

“There. I spared your life. So like the Jetii said… you owe me a life debt now. Got it?”

Opening her eyes, Rook can’t help the chuckle that escapes her lips as she stares into a mini-Janga Fett’s eyes. Boba isn’t her mother… even though she’s an identical clone of the other woman. She hasn’t had the same life experiences as Janga had, she hasn’t had nearly as many years either. But… Rook thinks that she can see a glimpse of what Boba might become in the young girl’s eyes. And she has to admit… she likes what she sees.

Nodding her head, the Mandalorian woman snaps a salute, bringing her fisted hand to her chest and knocking her knuckles against her beskar breastplate.

“I am yours, Boba Fett. From now until my last breath.”

After everything, it was the least Rook Kast could do. She would serve. Though, she would only serve Boba. If the Jedi’s aims and her new Mistress’ aims suddenly stopped aligning, he might find himself regretting convincing Boba to let her live. Rook’s loyalty wasn’t to him or his order, but to the little girl who was all that she had left of one of the best leaders she’d ever known.

Nodding decisively, Boba brings down her two blasters, pointing them at the ground.

“Good. Get your things together then, we’re leaving to hunt down the Sith.”

As Rook moves to do exactly that, the Jedi claps his hands together.

“Wonderful. On our way out, we can grab the rest of the Foundlings and a ship using Kast’s clearance codes.”

Every eye in the room turns to him at that, though for Rook she does so with only one eye, still moving to carry out Boba’s orders and get her things together. Boba scowls rather adorably, her eyes narrowing as she glares up at the Jedi.

“… And why would we do that?”

But the Jedi doesn’t back down, even at Boba’s tone. Instead, he gives her a look right back, managing to convey a surprising amount of meaning from beneath his beskar helm. Surprising because while it was basically hardwired into Mandalorians to be able to express themselves within their armor, it wasn’t so easy for non-Mandalorians who took up their gear to do so. It was one of the easiest ways to tell when someone had pilfered a suit of beskar armor and wasn’t a true Mandalorian, in fact.

And yet… the Jedi moved like one. He walked the walk and talked the talk, if a bit poorly. It was… impressive. Even if only impressive because the standards for Mandalorian Warriors had fallen so low between Death Watch being Death Watch and the New Mandalorians being the New Mandalorians.

“Because if we leave them here, Ursa Wren will take our actions out on them. She might not kill them… but I’m not going to leave an angry member of Death Watch with a bunch of kids.”

Rook Kast stiffens at that, and she notices that both Bo-Katan and Koska do the same thing. The insinuation that any self-respecting Mandalorian would hurt a Foundling was… tough to stomach. And yet, the Jedi was smart. He didn’t say anything about Mandalorians. He spoke only of Death Watch. And despite joining up with them, Rook Kast had to admit that he was right. There were members of Death Watch who would harm Foundlings in fits of anger. Though, she felt the need to set the record straight on one front.

“Ursa Wren would not harm a Foundling. She’s decent enough… for Death Watch.”

To Rook’s surprise, Boba nods along with her at that… but then, if little Boba HAD been here all along, she would know, wouldn’t she? Especially since Rook had been ignoring her own duties and passing everything off to Wren for months now.

But the Jedi doesn’t back down.

“That’s all well and good. But can you say the same for every other Death Watch soldier on this base? Or for Wren’s superiors, when they finally find out what happened here and about your defection?”

Rook’s jaw clenches at that. No, she could not. In fact… there were some among the Death Watch who might advocate for a cleansing of the Foundlings on this base, simply because of her betrayal. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t spoken to a single one of the kids before Boba showed up at her door. They would still be viewed as ‘tainted’ by association with her. The actual soldiers like Wren and the others on base would just be reassigned to shit duties because Death Watch couldn’t afford to waste their lives, but the kids might…

She doesn’t say a word, but the Jedi still nods at her like he can read her thoughts or something.

“Right. So we’re getting the Foundlings out with or without you. It’ll be much easier with yours and Boba’s help though.”

Rook grimaces under her helmet and turns wordlessly to Boba. In the end, it was up to Janga Fett’s daughter what happened next. If the young girl decided that they were splitting up from the Jedi and his Mandalorian friends here and now, then that’s what would happen, even if Rook had to fight all three of them in order to make it happen.

Boba seems to consider the situation for a moment before grimacing herself. Finally though, she nods her head.

“Fine. We’ll get the rest of the Foundlings out. But… where are you even going to take them, Jetii?”

The Jedi manages to give off sheepishness as he lets out a little laugh and sighs.

“Well… you’re not going to like it. But I still think it’s the best option available to us.”

-x-X-x-

He’d been right. They hadn’t liked it. But in the end, he’d been able to talk them around. It helped that Boba actually didn’t care that much. Amusingly, it was more Rook and Koska that were against his plan, making an unlikely pairing as they trying to convince him there had to be another way. But there simply wasn’t. And… when your choices were to leave a bunch of kids with a literal terrorist organization or deliver them into the hands of pacifists trying to dismantle your warrior culture, it was pretty obvious what the right option was.

And so, after ransacking the Death Watch base using Rook Kast’s access, piling all of the Foundlings onto a pair of ships, and blasting off back to Mandalore… Tylo found himself once again in the Duchess Satine Kryze’s throne room, standing before her as she looks down at him from her throne, her brow furrowed and creased and her lips pulled down into an expressive frown.

Force save me from handsome Jedi making an utter mess of things in my backyard. Why? Why couldn’t things work out well just once?

Satine looks one moment away from placing her head in her hands as she stares at him. Tylo, meanwhile, waits silently for her to speak first. He doesn’t consider it his place to talk out of turn, not when he’d sort of broken his promise to her. Technically there hadn’t been any civilian casualties… yet. But at the same time…

“Jedi Knight Vondin… the last time you stood before me; you told me you had no intention of provoking Death Watch. That you were only here to investigate, and that your actions would not further incite Death Watch’s ire towards my people. And yet… and yet here you stand before me all the same. By your own admission, you have convinced a Death Watch Commander to defect, made one of their bases inoperable, and absconded with two shiploads of children in the process.”

… Force, I can hardly believe what he’s managed to accomplish in such a short amount of time. I know I shouldn’t be aroused, but…

Trying his best to ignore Satine’s inner thoughts, feeling a little embarrassed by his mind reading for once, Tylo bows his head to the Duchess in apology. Everything she’s said is true, after all. Even still…

“I apologize for bringing trouble to your doorstep, Duchess Kryze. But I believe wholeheartedly that you would not have had me do anything else in these circumstances.”

Oh? And he’s so goddamn bold too. Fuck.

Outwardly, Satine’s eyes narrow and she clutches at the arms of her throne.

“Is that so? And you presume to know what I would have had you do, is that it?”

Tylo doesn’t falter, however. There are guards lining the throne room walls, but other than that it’s just him, Satine… and Bo-Katan again. For obvious reasons, they’d left everyone else out of this little visit. They didn’t want Satine’s security forces arresting Rook Kast after all. Or rather, they didn’t want them TRYING to arrest Rook Kast. Tylo didn’t want to see how many people would die in the process of the Mandalorian woman maintaining her freedom so she could keep to her new place glued to young Boba’s side.

Bo-Katan had insisted on coming though. Why, Tylo didn’t know exactly. Either way, he spreads his hands wide in a placating gesture.

“Only in the same way I presume to know what any good-natured sentient would do, Duchess Kryze. I know you to be a good woman of upstanding morals. And so I know that, given the choice you would never have left those children in Death Watch’s hands. Especially not when they could be retrieved without a drop of blood being spilled in the process.”

That was the big thing, or so Tylo figured. He hoped that a pacifist like the Duchess would appreciate that despite the… convoluted turn his investigation had taken, they had still managed things without killing anyone.

Hm. He’s not wrong. Truthfully, I appreciate his competence, for all that he’s caused me more problems than I care to admit. I suppose I have no choice but to accept the children and find them good homes.

Tylo’s shoulders are slumping in relief even before Satine finally nods her head stoically.

“… Very well, Knight Vondin. For all that your actions have… exasperated our issues, you have still done well to bring our children back to us. Death Watch’s barbaric practices regarding their… Foundlings are well documented, and it is good that they are no longer in their hands if nothing else.”

I suppose that’s that then. I shall valiantly resist the urge to invite the Jedi Knight back to my quarters for drinks. Best that he leaves sooner rather than later anyways.

However, before Satine can dismiss him, Tylo speaks up, wincing slightly as he does so.

“There is… more, Duchess. Information that I think would be best for your eyes and ears alone. Is it possible we could speak privately?”

Oh? Does he perhaps sense my arousal? Is he trying to get under my skirts?

He was not in fact trying to get under her skirts. But before he can think of a way to clarify what he’s trying to warn her of, Bo-Katan misreads the way her younger sister freezes on her throne, seemingly anticipating a swift rejection and dismissal. Before he can do anything, the Mandalorian woman at his side suddenly reaches up and removes her helmet, causing a hush to fall over the throne room.

“… Sister?”

Satine’s one word response to Bo-Katan’s reveal is met by a single nod from the older Mandalorian. Bo-Katan looks her little sister in the eye and speaks in a level, even tone.

“This is important, sister. You need to hear him out.”

There’s a moment where Satine’s thoughts are a complete whirlwind. Her emotions overwhelm her and even Tylo can’t quite make out what she’s thinking for a brief second. Then, her mind becomes eerily still.

“… Leave us.”

I’d heard that Bo-Katan was working for the Jedi Order, but to think she would hide her true identity when coming before me. Tch, still, this must be important…

“Duchess-!”

“I said, leave us. It’s my sister and a Jedi Knight. If I’m not safe from them, I’m not safe from anyone.”

Satine’s guards file out of the throne room, though Tylo is sure they’re not far away. Still, in a few short moments it’s just the three of them and nobody else. Satine rises from her throne and approaches them rather than the other way around, the Duchess biting her lower lip as she clasps her hands together in front of herself, looking between her sister and him.

“Well? What is it?”

Tylo and Bo-Katan exchange a glance, before Tylo clears his throat.

“… Rook Kast had a bit more information for us, specifically concerning Death Watch’s leadership. She wasn’t supposed to know this, so we think that even with her defection, they consider this information to be secure… but one of Death Watch’s leaders is a man you know quite well… a man named Tal Merrik.”

Satine’s eyes widen at that revelation, as expected. Equally as expected, her thoughts are in sudden turmoil.

What? No… that’s not possible.

In the silence that follows, Bo-Katan speaks up.

“It’s true, little sister. Do what you wish with this information, but Merrik, one of your supporters, is Death Watch.”

Satine looks between the two of them, looking as torn as her thoughts feel. All thoughts of arousal, of him being a handsome Jedi who’s every heroic action made her a little wetter… were gone. In their place was a woman who had just been told that everything she knew was a lie.

Worst of all, while Merrik was the only one Rook could name for sure, she was convinced that there were other Death Watch infiltrators highly placed in Satine’s government. That was why they’d demanded a private audience with the Duchess. Truth be told, even now Tylo didn’t know who she could really trust. But maybe if she chose to believe them, then they could help her out with that.

Of course, whatever they did would have to be fast… Boba was bound to get into trouble going after the Sith by herself with just Rook Kast by her side if they took too long.

For a long moment, Satine Kryze wavers between belief and disbelief, like a credit standing on its edge. And then… the credit falls.

[  ] Satine falls on the side of disbelief - 6%

-x-X-x-

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