The Jedi T-6 shuttle exits hyperspace and flies down towards the planet Mandalore, the homeworld and centre of the Mandalore system. It is here that the most heated fighting in this war is going on, and it is here that the entourage of newly anointed Duchess Satine, her guards and Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, are headed. From space, Mandalore looks terrible; it is a war-torn planet and has mostly been divided into two parts. One ruled by Petyr, the current Mand'alor and his True Mandalorians. They are located in the capital of Keldabe, where Petyr was ruling his part of the system. The second part was controlled by the New Mandalorians and their pacifist leadership, led by House Kryze.
Suddenly, dozens of Aggressor-class Assault Fighters appear before the T-6 shuttle. This is the second series of starfighters that Petyr has been working on. The design has some similarity to the Fang fighter, but is still different.
[Picture]
[This is Dur'am of the True Mandalorian Defence Corps. You have breached Mandalorian space. Identify yourself or be destroyed.]
Hearing the threat, Qui-Gon reacts immediately and answers.
"This is Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn on an official mission from the Jedi Council."
[Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn, your Order holds no special privileges in these parts and is as much subject to the rules as anyone else. This is an active war zone. What is your purpose here?]
"We are accompanying Duchess Satine of Clan Kryze and bringing her to Sundari."
[Understood. Go through the checkpoint to make sure.]
"And where would that be?" Qui-Gon asks.
[Follow us.]
The T-6 shuttle follows the Aggressor Assault Fighters to a large dome where all arriving starships had to go through to get to Mandalore. Petyr created this for security and to check beforehand who was arriving. Anything that was arriving would have to go through there or be shot down. Everything would be scanned, no matter whether it was living or cargo.
Qui-Gon steers their shuttle through the control and finally gets the affirmative.
[You're clear. Welcome to Mandalore.]
After saying that, the Aggressor assault fighters leave.
"Well, that was interesting," Kenobi says.
"This is new. It wasn't here when I left for Coruscant," Satine says with worry in her voice.
"Indeed, but it does make sense during these times. This Petyr Baelish seems quite an impressive man. He is very thorough, I must agree. And I can see that he knows a lot of things beforehand. He seems to enjoy being prepared," Qui-Gon observes.
"This is a means of control. Don't you see? He is taking away freedom ever so slowly. Soon, the people will be controlled, and the soldiers will march through the streets," Satine worries.
"This seems like a bit of a stretch, Duchess. From what I can see, the patrol is intended primarily for protection. Now that we have passed, there is not one starfighter to be seen," Obi-Wan says.
"This is simply an appearance. My father was always confused about how Petyr Baelish managed to have all the supplies he needed and resources that came from seemingly nowhere. This will ruin Mandalore, and I'm afraid it already has."
"Things are seldom what they appear, Obi-Wan. But I agree with you, from this perspective, it doesn't look all that bad. And yet, maybe the Duchess is right, maybe this is all a ruse of some kind. We shall see."
They make their way to the Sundari spaceport. A large crowd is waiting for them there and celebrates the arrival of their new Duchess and leader of the New Mandalorians. House Kryze is a royal house, but the Mandalorian Civil War and the presence of a Mand'alor, an official leader of all Mandalorians, are making the situation complicated.
"Satine!"
Satine sees her sister, Bo-Katan, rush forward. The two sisters embrace happily and in relief.
"I'm so happy to see you again, Bo. It has been too long. How are you?" Satine asks.
"I'm fine. It has been stressful since my father died. We have tried our best to defend Mandalore, but... well."
"We will talk right away, let's get somewhere more private," Satine says, seeing the heaviness in her sister's voice.
The small entourage makes their way to the Sundari Royal Palace, the heart of Clan Kryze and the New Mandalorian stronghold. After they get there, Satine finally has a moment alone with her sister and the Jedi.
"Bo, may I introduce you to Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi? They were sent here to protect me from assassination attempts yet to come," Satine says.
"Jedi, huh? Well, we could surely use the help," Bo-Katan says.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Bo-Katan. Please, don't think of us wanting to spy on you or intrude. We are only here to make sure the peaceful ideals the Duchess has in mind will come to fruition. I hope we can work together well," Qui-Gon says.
"Peace, pfft. Are you still on about that, Satine? Peace won't get us anywhere in this war. We won't win through peace," Bo-Katan says.
"We will, Bo. I know it, and I will convince all Mandalorians of it. By making peace and embracing it thoroughly, we will prosper and grow far beyond our current state. You will see," Satine says.
"Father believed in peace. Look where that's got him."
"Father was killed in the war and through violence. Peace would have kept him alive."
"..."
*Sigh*
"Let us move on. How is our situation, Bo?"
"Clan Eldar thoroughly defeated us. Wiped out most of our air forces. We have pretty much nothing left at this point. Food is becoming a problem in a few years. Two, maybe three if we're lucky. People are not seeing the end of this streak of losses, ever since Father died. We aren't doing very well," Bo-Katan says.
"Then what is keeping you protected? Are there still forces left?" Qui-Gon asks.
"We have some who are mainly for protection against outside attacks, but if an attack were launched, it wouldn't be much of a fight. And the other clans know that."
"Please don't misunderstand, but why weren't you attacked yet?" Obi-Wan asks.
"..."
"Bo? What is it?" Satine asks.
"The True Mandalorians have been keeping watch and have dealt with all attacks, since our dreadful defeat against Clan Eldar."
"What?! What is he planning? Petyr Baelish is a devious man, so what did he ask of us?" Satine asks.
"That's the peculiar part. He hasn't asked for anything yet. We haven't heard from him yet, but we got notice that the True Mandalorians have defeated Clan Eldar and taken over most of the planet Bonagal at this point."
"How can he spread his forces so thin?"
"We don't know that either. But MandalMotors, which has its main seat in Keldabe and belongs to the Mand'alor, has just created two new types of starfighters, the Fang-class Protectorate Fighters and the Aggressor-class Assault Fighters, which you saw that protect Mandalorian airspace. And the leader of the assault crew, Arla Fett, is the second last remaining True Mandalorian, next to the Mand'alor himself. She is very good."
"Hmm."
Qui-Gon thinks about it for a while and then puts it off. He isn't here to participate in the war, only to defend the Duchess.
.
At the same time, a covert operations craft exits the Hydian Way. It is a modified X-70B Phantom-class prototype of he reconstituted Sith Empire.
[Picture]
The sleek appearance of the X-70B Phantom was designed to pass for a civilian luxury shuttle, despite its array of hidden components. Its bridge was shielded by the forward armour plating and was equipped with advanced, precision flight instruments.
Its interior features custom wood panelling and cushioned seating. Within the X-70B, a luxurious central lounge is equipped with a gaming table, recessed food coolers, and a long-range communications holoterminal. Attached to the lounge is a medical bay, behind which is a spacious cargo bay. The X-70B also features a conference room, designed for both briefings and entertaining potential intelligence sources.
X-70Bs were so technologically advanced that they were never mass-produced. Instead, they were elite vessels reserved for only the most trusted intelligence agents on the most vital missions to the Sith Empire during the Great Galactic War. The ships were coated with a sensor-resistant exterior and equipped with the most sophisticated equipment and weapons. Their powerful sensor arrays could scan the interiors of other ships, even over large distances.
Petyr kept many aspects of the X-70B intact and only added more powerful weaponry and armour to it. He improved the energy shielding, reinforced the armour plating, and replaced the usual heavy laser cannons with his kyber crystal-powered counterparts, as well as various missile systems. He made sure to change the reactor core and make it more powerful, fueling it with various enhanced versions he could devise at the present time.
The newly named X-70BP, with the 'P' standing for Petyr, naturally, approaches the planet Kuat. A massive orbital shipyard array can be seen, surrounding the entire planet, constructing and repairing starships. Kuat holds one of the three largest shipyards in the galaxy. The reason for Petyr's visit here in the Outer Core of the Galactic Republic is the Kuat Drive Yards.
Kuat Drive Yards was founded in the early days of the Galactic Republic by a group of Human aristocrats known as the Ten. These merchants, led by the Kuat family, joined together with the intent to create the largest, most efficient shipyard in the galaxy. They hired terraformers to transform the planet Kuat in the Core Worlds into a paradise, while engineers designed and built the first six of many orbital shipyard complexes.
Before they can reach the ground, Petyr, Arla and the Mandalorian guards have passed the Kuat Passenger port and are contacted by the mighty Mandator-class Star Dreadnaught and several KDY vessels.
[This is Captain Formon from the KDY defence force. Identify yourselves and state your purpose.]
"Greetings, Captain Fromon, I am Petyr Baelish, the current Mand'alor of the Mandalorians. I should be expected."
[Greetings Mand'alor Baelish. You are clear to pass the nav point and move directly to Kuat.]
"Thank you."
They land on the private shipyard that is intended for special guests to the planet Kuat. The X-70BP lands on the ground, and Petyr exits the ship, followed by Arla and the Mandalorian guards in their armour. This is a show of power to the KDY, which is why Petyr arrived with his most advanced ship he has currently. At the head of the small delegation stands a woman who welcomes Petyr as they approach.
"Greetings, Mand'alor, I am Onara Kuat, head of the Kuat family and principal director of the Kuat Drive Yards. I am glad that I get to meet you," she says.
"The pleasure is all mine, Director Kuat. I have been looking forward to this meeting," Petyr says with his usual smile.
Onara is a prime example of the cutthroat and labyrinthine nature of Kuati politics, as well as the consolidation of aristocrats, politicians, and business executives. If Petyr were anyone else, and had a little less experience than he did, he might fall for her perfectly trained fake smiles, her compliments and her flowery words. But he is the one who thrives in chaos and plans within plans. He didn't choose to come to one of, if not the largest and most powerful shipyard planets in the galaxy, without a plan in mind.
They make their way to a pompous office, where Onara and her advisors sit down, with Petyr on the other side of the table.
"So, Mand'alor, do you have them here? The plans I mean?" she asks.
"Of course. I brought a small sneak peek for you to verify that I am not releasing hot air," Petyr says and hands them a series of plans for both Star Destroyers, Dreadnoughts and other powerful vehicles and starships. He hasn't worked very hard for those. This meeting was about power and subterfuge, as well as a few plans that Petyr had. It was not to give them real plans to build better starships.
The board members review the plans for a moment and then glance at each other. Onara frowns and looks at Petyr questioningly.
"Well?" Petyr asks.
"Forgive me, Mand'alor, but... what is this? Where are the plans you told us about?"
"Those are the ones."
"These?"
"Yes."
"These are the real plans you told me about?"
"Indeed."
"Huhu, you're serious?" she asks.
"Of course I am. Why do you ask?" Petyr looks confused.
"Did your child make those?" she asks with a smile.
"I don't have children yet."
"How peculiar, then. It sure looks like it," Onara jokes.
"Hehehehe." "Hahahahah" "Ahahahaha"
The board members start to laugh at Petyr.
"I understand that they still need work, but with your expertise, I'm sure-"
"Work? My dear man, this is atrocious. If this is truly what you came up with, then you have no idea what you're talking about. I mean, just look at these numbers. It looks as though you added what looks like 'cool' ones to make it seem impressive, without understanding what you are doing."
"What are you talking about?"
"The superluminal speed of a hyperdrive was rated on an inverse scale: the faster the hyperdrive, the lower the rating. These ratings, generally called "Classes," provide a quick, although often inconsistent or inaccurate, idea of a ship's hyperdrive speed. The hyperdrive class acted as a multiplier for a given base travel time. Thus, a Class 2 hyperdrive takes twice the base time to travel a given route, while a Class 0.5 takes only half the base time. Do you understand?"
"..."
"And this armour plating. You can't just use a strong metal like that and leave it on its own. You need different areas that are sturdier, and then add different things. This is ridiculous."
"..."
"Haha, I'm sorry, good man, but I don't think we'll be making that deal with you," Onara says.
"Where did you get that starship you arrived in anyway? Did you spend all the money Mandalore had to try and 'impress' us? Hahaha."
They continued to laugh at Petyr. He stands up and leaves the room. Without another word, they make it back to the X-70BP and take off, flying through the checkpoints and finally get out of the Kuat system, jumping to hyperspace and back to Mandalore.
"Well, Arla? You seem stiff," Petyr says as they sit in the lounge area.
"No, Mand'alor."
"Dear, I've known you since you were 14. Come now, you're angry about what happened, aren't you?"
"How can you smile after they laughed at you? What was that, Petyr?!" she says, using his first name, telling Petyr that she is angry.
"Are you angry because we wasted a trip, or because they laughed? If it's the latter, then I can tell you that they were laughing at me and not you."
"I know that! Why would you do that to yourself? Why do you allow them to laugh at you that way? I refuse to believe that you didn't know all those things they were talking about," she says and starts to walk up and down the room. "You created different starfighters after all."
Petyr is amused at her reaction. He finds it both amusing and, for some reason, attractive to see her show her fangs that way. But he's crazy, so that might be why.
"Then what do you make of this?" Petyr asks.
"You obviously wanted them to make fun of you and wanted to be embarrassed. But why is that? Why would you want that?"
"The 'embarrassment' as you put it was merely a byproduct of my intention. It was inevitable."
"...You wanted them to turn you down. So they will look down on you and underestimate you?"
"Indeed. The Republic is a tumour, filled with betrayal, backstabbing and sycophants of all degrees. My 'image', if you will, and reputation have been growing to unbelievable degrees. The way I am going about this war, and more or less all things I do, would have gotten the attention of powerful people. I have prevented them from looking further into things."
"Because they will see this as you having a weakness. And therefore take what they hear about you as exaggerations," Arla deduces.
"Precisely, love."
Petyr smiles.
"So what now?"
"Now, we go take over a certain planet's politics, which will allow us to build an army for the war to come," Petyr says.
"Urgh, why am I not surprised? You do know the Mandalore system is amidst a civil war, right?"
"Haha, come here."