Summary:
Just your average non-mastermind getting reborn as Kal Skirata's biological daughter. It's a little much to expect a single person to untangle a plan that was centuries in the making with just some spotty foreknowledge and, her ROB's singular boon, a Devil Fruit Power. Still, she can't let the Empire rise without opposition.
Notes:
Title was inspired by "Don't You Want Me"" which came on at the right time. Kal met his wife when she was working as a waitress.
(See the end of the work for more notes.)
Chapter 1Chapter Text
Ruusaan drummed her sparkly nails, done up like the shining nebula as a reminder of the stakes, on the bartop. She was on Coruscant and hadn't immediately come to a bad end so her luck regarding catching the Big Bad's attention probably hadn't run its course. Still, being on the same planet as the guy who succeeded in becoming an Evil Galactic Emperor, emphasis on evil and absolutely deserving of capitals, meant it was harder to contain her urge to fidget or pace. She just wanted to move.
But she didn't want to be too memorable. It was too bad that as a sports bar 79's didn't seem to have much dancing. That could be a good way to blend in and burn some energy off before she jittered out of her own skin. She tried to take some calming breaths without being too obvious.
It wasn't perfect. She didn't feel completely calm, but she didn't think she looked too manic either. It could even fit with her cover story. Ruusaan was here, publicly at least, to ask a clone to pass a message onto the Nulls so she could talk with their trainer – and her biological father, Kal Skirata.
She had talked her older brothers out of disowning Kal when he proved unreachable when their mother was dying (Everyone deserved a chance to make a case for themselves and Ruusaan happened to know he was enmeshed in a Sith trap.) but it was still going to be awkward if they did end up talking. It would be normal for someone to be nervous about reaching out to an estranged parent, right?
Right! She held back a determined nod and instead gave an exaggerated look around for a bartender or a service droid. She didn't intend to drink much. Ruusaaan knew she would need a clear head for later. However, a drink and a glass to fidget with sounded great right about now.
She really thought she'd have been approached by now. This was a clone bar and she and she wasn't a clone. She had kind of assumed that new people would get some sort of vibe check to gatekeep one of the few areas they had any claim to. Some territorialism wouldn't be out of the question.
Not that she had seen anything that indicated the Coruscant Guard whump stories where clones were called "meat droids" and got mistreated by all natborns was true, but the clone troopers were largely considered non-sentient. Of course, she'd only been on planet for a few rotations.
Still, even if she'd been wrong about that, Ruusaan was a young woman alone at a bar filled with off-duty soldiers who were, by design, entirely male. Or, at least, should be a solid male majority since the Kaminoan's determination to root out any variations in their "product" meant being trans likely had a high chance of being fatal. She had assumed she would get approached instead of the other way around.
Was she off-putting somehow? She was still in business casual instead of club-wear, but she didn't really want to project that she was attempting to hook up with one of the ten year-olds that made up the majority of the bar's patrons.
She could acknowledge intellectually that they were all quite fit and had adult responsibilities and didn't deserve to be treated as mere children, but she'd done some shady shit trying to undermine the Sith currently running the Senate. She figured having some boundaries was healthy and her own reincarnation age-related baggage was enough for anyone. No need to add extra complications such as "Are they still adult enough to kriff if they got fast-forwarded though childhood and puberty?".
It was too bad that there was no good Reddit equivalent in her current universe. Now that Ruusaan had thought of that, she kind of wanted to see what kind of answers she'd get crowdsourcing that answer while actually in the "galaxy far, far away". What kind of response would that net from actual alien commenters?
Pondering that instead of her actual objectives (and how a certain Someone-Who-Can-Possibly-Sense-The-Use-Of-The-Name-Of-His-Edgy-Sith-Peronsa might somehow sense her working against him) let her examine the off-duty troopers for someone to speak to with greater calm. All the clones seemed to have at least one other person with them. Ruusaan figured they probably all had a squad member or two with them unless they were seeking an intimate encounter.
She'd just have to interrupt a group then!
It would be to offer them a good amount of credits to pass on a short message so it shouldn't go over too badly. She even planned to sweeten her pitch by offering to put their drinks on her tab, assuming someone ever deigned to take her orders.
Resolved, Ruusaan was about to make her way over to the corner table that looked the most laidback when someone took the seat on her right. Finally! She turned to return their greeting and make her offer but was stopped by the Death Watch symbol boldly painted on his helmet.
She was hesitant to talk to what appeared to be some sort of war crimes fanboy. Plus, there was no way Kal would be receptive to a message if it came from someone who paraded that symbol. Though, according to what she remembered from her past life, he'd had at least one Death Watch co-worker, hadn't he? One of the other trainers who had some cringe name like the Dreadful Priest or something like that, hadn't he?
How in the Sith hells had that worked anyway? Jango had hired the trainers and he had to hate the group that had orphaned him twice and arranged for him to be sold into slavery. Even if he tolerated their company for the sake of his ultimate goal - eliminating the Jedi - would he have really allowed any of the trainers to talk up Death Watch as worth emulating?
And weren't Death Watch all anti-Jedi anyway? Why had Dread Monk or whatever his name was agreed to train an army for people he considered enemies? Kal had done it because it was Jango who had asked, but a Death Watch member should have been wary of Jango.
Ruusaan certainly would have expected a trap if someone popped up with a job for her and that someone happened to be a ruthless killer that had personal reasons to want her to die in agony. Perhaps that could be considered evidence of the use of Sith mind tricks on the Mandalorian trainers?
The clone trooper, Horns, turned out to have some luck that night as she hadn't yet been served by man or droid. Since she didn't have a drink, her thoughts managed to pass from indignation to confusion before she responded to him. So instead of getting some alcohol to the helmet he got asked if he knew what the symbol on his helmet meant.
Missing her tone, Horns was delighted by the apparent interest and even took his helmet off to offer her a closer look. Apparently, his paint was a nod to his Mandalorian heritage and the desire to be associated with a group of talented warriors "almost as deadly" as him and his brothers in the GAR.
This answer both amused and baffled Ruusaan. No doubt, Pre would be enraged at such as assessment of his own fighting force. She could easily picture his head exploding (metaphorically). However, it was clear wherever Horns got his information, it had been limited.
Ruusaan didn't want to shame Horns, but she couldn't let his ignorance continue. This was the first time she had had the courage to come herself to Coruscant, but she'd sent other people out to manage things she knew about from her past life. One of those things was Arla Fett. Arla Fett, who had been stolen as a child and branded like an animal and, even now, could barely tolerate being in the same room as a male presenting person.
Ruusaan gently laid a hand on his shoulder and told Horns how much cruelty and cowardice went into making Death Watch "deadly". Paint, according to her otherworldly lore, was supposed to be very personal to clones and she hated to make him feel bad about one of the few choices the clone trooper had made for himself, but he deserved to know he was associating himself with an organization that targeted civilians and hid behind third parties.
Ruusaan didn't have the heart to force the issue, but she felt compelled to make a case for him to change it up. It was entirely possible that his upbringing meant Horns couldn't fully grasp how despicable it was to break up families and abuse children – he was a devoted child solider with no experience of healthy parent/child relationships – but if he truly admired skill? What skill was there in attacking the defenseless? In cowering behind anonymity instead of owning your deeds?
Plus, there was a whole galaxy of other possibilities to inspire out there. She eagerly offered to com Horns some alternatives - material on other warrior societies, stories about heroes of the Republic, programs about dangerous animals, and even mainstream Mandalorian writing. She even suggested that if he didn't like any of the options, he could instead consider creating a symbol to represent himself and his brothers.
She may have been a tiny bit overenthusiastic in her overview of possible alternatives. Horns left looking a bit dazed - like she'd hit him over the head with her barstool instead of ambushing him with a well-meaning info-dump from her barstool.
Though clearly taken aback by the strange way his night off had turned, Horns took that turn with a fair amount of grace. He even agreed to get word to the Nulls that Kal's biological children wanted to talk to him once he'd gotten Ruusaan off the subject of his armor and onto why she'd come to 79's. She was pleased as the punch she never got to order and left the bar with pep in her step.
It was a mission success! If someone looked into her, they would hear that her reason for being on Coruscant was family drama (and not grabbing some clones to get samples of their mind control chips).
***
Ruusaan happily dug into her nuna burger. It was perfect! She hadn't been able to resist checking out Dex's diner while taking the risk of being on Coruscant. She hadn't been sure what to expect of the food quality since she was mostly aware of Dex as a source of information, but the risk had absolutely paid off.
The waitress had even brought out a small dish for Bepo too and the porg was also very happy with his meal. Ruusaan resolved to take some food to-go so Granta, who'd chosen to stay in and examine the inhibitor chips they'd pulled from some troopers the other night, could enjoy some as well.
Granta may need to crosscheck with Ruusaan's medical expertise to parse everything, but he had a mind for technical things and had been briefed on the chips' purpose. He had agreed with her that a targeted virus or a slicing method (assuming it was possible) would be faster than arranging secret brain surgery en masse. His proximity was also acting as an additional failsafe as it was hoped that a Force blank nearby meant the Sith wouldn't be alerted to some of the chips having a new home in a smuggler's compartment on the Polar Tang.
The only communication Ruusaan had gotten from her ROB – a single note attached to a giftbox - had said that she couldn't be made invisible in the Force but had promised that she would remain the lowest priority for any Force user she wasn't currently outright attacking. She had taken that to mean that as long as he had other enemies, she was safe from the Big Bad's notice but she couldn't be sure. What if the Sith just woke up one day and decided to focus on his smallest threat just to glory in squashing someone? What if he was just so arrogant that he considered victory so inevitable that no threat was considered a priority?
Plus, He-Who-She-Was-Trying-Not-To-Think-About-While-Nearby had followers without the Force and there could be contingencies she didn't know about. It wasn't enough to just not be obvious. There was a whole galaxy on the line!
So, Ruusaan disguised her activities as much as possible and she stacked the deck in her favor whenever possible. Therefore, the only backup she'd felt comfortable bringing to Coruscant was back on the ship when Kal Skirata slid into the other side of her booth at the diner without so much as a hello.
Bepo made a disapproving noise at his rudeness and Ruusaan couldn't help smiling at the porg in his tiny orange Jedi robes. Kal wasn't charmed, but that didn't surprise her. From what she knew of her father, even if he didn't have reason to dislike that outfit in particular, he was the type of man who would see a woman who dressed up her pets and find that woman wanting.
Ruusaan didn't mind. She wanted to be underestimated and there was really no way for him to know how Bepo was sometimes useful to her out-of-context powers. And, frankly, interacting with Kal was just part of her cover story. She didn't need the meeting with him to go well, she just needed people to believe the meeting was why she was here on Coruscant.
Staying quiet, she worked on finishing her meal to give Kal the opportunity to speak first and set the tone of their discussion. He earned himself some leeway by opening with "I'm sorry about your mother. It didn't occur to me that she might reach out after I couldn't find her when she left."
"She likely wouldn't have if she hadn't gotten sick. Then she wanted closure."
"And is that what you want? Closure? Is that why you were looking for me?"
"Sort of. I wasn't looking for you at first. Your name came up when some friends of mine looked into the cloners. I was never as angry with you as Tor or Ijaat." She paused, apologetic at what she'd have to bring up next. "They almost declared you dar'buir, you know? Tempers were really high after Mom died but I convinced them to wait. It's been years at this point. That's a long enough wait, right?"
Kal's expression at the implication he could still be declared dar'buir was a good refresher in where Ruusaan's two brothers had gotten their temper from. He was careful when he replied.
"It has been long enough. I wish I had been able to be there for you then, but I cannot regret it. There were children who needed me more."
"Millions, in fact. But I hear I have only six more brothers. Though I suppose as a single parent having any more than one child is already ambitious." Ruusaan smiled, a bit wry, hoping to soften the possible accusations.
Kal seemed to take her words in the spirit they were intended. Ruefully, he admitted that raising the Nulls had indeed been a challenge, the boys would have been a handful even if they had been raised in a more forgiving environment. His face darkened with anger as he'd thought of the dangers his adoptive children had faced even fresh from being decanted.
The anger retreated as he continued. He was glad that Ruusaan was able to refer to his adopted sons as her brothers. Far too many people were willing to accept the Kaminoans' word that the clone troopers were not fully sentient. He'd like it if the Nulls would be able to consider her a sister.
Kal was part of the Republic's intelligence apparatus though. He had to ask why Ruusaan had friends looking into the longnecks. He'd hardly turn his own daughter over to the idiots he nominally took orders from, but it was important to know if he needed to be ready to cover anything up.
Ruusaan reassured him that it was nothing nefarious. With the clone troopers and their origins recently revealed to the galaxy at large, a certain Kaleesh friend of her's had expressed interest in cloning as a solution to his people's shrinking population. Said friend had even netted a visit to the planet to be reassured that it was within the Kaminoans' capabilities to provide his species with a quick population boost.
Kal had sympathy for being one of few survivors but did not trust the "longnecks" in the least. He urged her to tell her friend to be cautious as the people he was dealing with were callous and untrustworthy. Ruusaan nodded gravely. He was right about the need for caution even if he couldn't know the real reason that his daughter wanted an in on the water planet.
A customer could ask questions about modifications to the clones such as the rapid aging and control methods without looking suspicious. After all, a customer with a need for more people would be entirely justified in asking if it was possible to avoid the modifications that were supposed to render clones non-sentient or sterile or too short-lived. And if they had any procedures available to revert such things if there were any mistakes.
Security would be tight since Kamino was an important military asset. Ruusaan didn't think there would be any good opportunities for getting things done without tipping their hand. She wouldn't cry if Nala Se were to suffer an accident or if they were able to sabotage chip production somehow (A virus to the fabricator that created chips, so they came out looking the same but were nonfunctional, maybe?).
However, if kept to an information gathering run there was still a lot to be gained. Ruusaan didn't believe that she'd actually get her hands on definite proof on Sith involvement in the production of the clones that she could pass along, but that wasn't the only prize on the table.
General knowledge of cloning itself could be valuable in more altruistically inclined hands. With Kamino technology and information, could decimated species not actually be kept from extinction? Could someone like Dr. Pershing (under appropriate supervision) not learn to grow organic parts for the injured or otherwise infirm?
There might even be links to middleman or other experiments such as the attempt to artificially create Force users that Ruusaan and her people could follow up on. And since they weren't looking for the Sith Master's real name? They didn't need to sit on information in the hopes of following it up to the identity of Dooku's master.
Every middleman or backup plan that Ruusaan and her people cut out of the picture was an asset the Sith had to replace. With the Sith being so highly visible the less people he had to delegate to the better; the less time he had to spent on other objectives – like engaging in some light genocide or running democracy into the ground so people him beg them to fix it – the better.
Ruusaan could not trust Kal with too much of the truth. She was fairly certain that his people had made it out mostly intact in the original timeline because he only looked out for his own. She didn't condemn him for that exactly. You had to put on your own oxygen mask before you helped the person besides you.
It was just his focus meant he was never an actual threat to the Sith agenda. What did a handful of deserters matter in the grand scheme of things? Why care about an isolated homestead that would get blown up when you were done with the planet it was hidden on?
So, if she told him? Even if she had confidence in him having similar priorities, Ruusaan would be signing his death warrant. Kal and his boys might be skilled, but they were working for the Big Bad. He would just have them ordered on a suicide mission. Better by far if she kept Kal in the dark.
It might even be more useful to her if the Republic was kept busy trying to keep track of his off-books work rather than any of her activities. So, Ruusaan just followed up her nod with a thanks for the warning and steered the conversation away from Kamino.
It was much safer to ask if Kal was interested in ordering some food. Ruusaan absolutely recommended the nerf burgers. It would be her treat even. She insisted. Kal wavered and she wasn't sure of the free food had been the deciding factor, but there was also a lot more for them to talk about and he did end up staying so they could.
It was mostly catch-up talk which let Ruusaan be fairly honest. It was true after all that she was a licensed surgeon and that her brothers were a businessman and a holo maker respectively. That she and Ijaat were still single, but Tor was settled happily (though he and his partner had not yet bothered with a marriage ceremony). That she wasn't after financial support from him as all his biological kids were rich.
However, even with outright lies she did engage in a lot of omission. That she had studied medicine to make the best use of Ope Ope no Mi fruit that had been in the giftbox left for her by her ROB. That Tor networked so determinedly because he wanted the resources to support her desire to prevent a Sith Empire. That Ijaat gathered media influence for the same reason. That Tor's partner was a man, and she wasn't sure Kal could be trusted to not be rude about that. That one of the ways they'd gotten rich was betting it all on a human podracer in a race on Tatooine.
Kal seemed to be extending the same kind of honesty in return, so Ruusaan didn't feel guilty. He talked about how all the GAR trainers had been cut off from the wider galaxy. How proud he was of his batch and their strengths. How he was currently working as a contracted expert for the GAR. Notably he did not mention that Jango Fett had been allowed forays off planet. Or that the strength Kal had been hired for was information gathering and it had absolutely been pointed at her before he'd slid into the booth across from her.
By the time what Ruusaan and her brothers had been doing meandered into what they were doing, the conversation had found a less awkward rhythm. Though most of Kal's answers skirted details as to not invoke the dreaded "classified". Her answers were slightly more forthcoming though she could tell they didn't impress him much.
It miffed Ruusaan a little which she didn't like. She was a grown woman who wasn't even interested in impressing Kal, but it still rankled that this, this mercenary who had tried to make her eldest brother ashamed for not wanting to hurt people thought he had the right to judge her. When the parties he looked down his nose at were (if the Sith didn't manage some upset) going to do more good for the clones' rights than he managed in his whole miserable little life.
Still Ruusaan carried on and refrained from pointed remarks. It even looked like they might part amicably when Bepo gave a little burp which Ruusaan took as her cue to get going. They'd both finished their food. It was time to wrap things up and check on what, if anything, Granta had been able to glean from his examination of the inhibitor chips. Kal, on the other hand, took it as a cue to needle his daughter about her pet's outfit.
"How can you support the Jedi when you know what the clones really are?"
Ruusaan sighed as she placed Bepo on her shoulder and told him point blank, "I don't."
She may have arranged for Ventress and her master to make it off Rattatak with a message to be handed over to Mace Windu. That message may have started out along the lines "Now that you've finally noticed that the Sith were never actually gone, some advice for you: First …". However, it was just advice. Just words. Barely anything.
And she hadn't even sent it for their sake. Her warning had been for the sake of them lasting longer against the Sith. The more effectively they combated him the better distraction they were. And the more of them that survived if the rise of the Empire couldn't be subverted, the less of a monopoly on Force use the Big Bad could claim.
So, no. She could not be counted as a "supporter" of the Jedi Order. She might even be more critical of them than Kal was since she knew more about them, and her views weren't based on personal injury. She didn't mind a good debate but she had the strong suspicion if they got it into here she'd end up screaming that a failing institution didn't justify murdering children and, well, that hadn't happened yet. And, even if it had, it would be an unfair point to make when he hadn't known until afterwards.
Ruusaan didn't want to have that fight. Just thinking about having it made her feel how tired she was. The war was here. The chips were real. She had two or three years (which she still thought was kind of an insane timescale for a galactic sized conflict) to see if everything she done and not done and promised to do were worth it.
It would be a waste of time and effort to argue with a man so set in his ways. So instead, she followed up her denial with another partial truth, "The robes are just a good talking point. The war hasn't made them unpopular yet." Unsaid was that later that night Ruusaan was hoping to get an influential humanity-first fanatic talking about the Jedi and the war.
She could slip in surprise that the racist was okay with the "longnecks" declaring perfectly fine men sub-human. She might even praise them for their loyalty to the Republic overriding their principles to be so supportive of humans being ordered about by aliens. Maybe it wouldn't do anything, but maybe they'd turn against the Chancellor for his lies. She couldn't say she liked making nice with people who judged on species. She was a reincarnate, she knew that souls were real. However, she felt that way about most of Big Bad's powerbase and that powerbase wouldn't fracture or get subverted or otherwise destroyed without putting in the work.
Maybe if the human first types didn't take the bait, the insinuation that the clones' sentience was readily apparent and being suppressed could be made to look like blackmail to the unscrupulous? Chaos and in-fighting could be almost good as turning his own against the Big Bad.
It was really too bad that Ruusaan couldn't afford to imply anything about utility of her hobnobbing to Kal. Much as the opportunity to tut over the Mandalorian tendency to discount all the ways wars were fought off the battlefield (and what a blindside that was for an intelligence agent) tempted her - Kal as far from the only Skirata with a temper - it would do her no favors. It would, much more likely, backfire.
So, Ruusaan gathered up her takeout and gave a firm farewell. Their conversation was over. She still had a handful of rotations left on Coruscant and she'd need a nap if she was going to make the most of them.
Chapter 2: Ru's Action Plan (First Draft)Summary:
Ruusaan is in Star Wars and knows just enough to know there isn't really a safe place to tuck herself and her family away. So, she makes some lists and hopes she can spin them into useable plans.
Chapter Text
New Life, New Bucket List
Get a space pet: force repelling lizard, akk dog, nexu, strill, porg?See cuteness of baby Yoda in personGet my own spaceship; fly with Purrgils?Read Supercammando CodexGet droid buddyEat at Dex'sSwing real lightsaber aroundEwoks!!!
What to Do with a Devil Fruit
Copy Law & exhort people with their literal heart in your handsSwitch personalities so rich/well placed people are your peoplePractice for general combat usesLaw could teleport, can I? And how far?Switch baddie with an animal so they are declared insaneSwitch baddie with coma patient (must test)Switch baddie with own victim (like CEO dumping toxic waste with one of the people dying because they wanted to spend less?)Temp switch where baddie gets own body back after having given away ill-gotten gainsTest DF and Force interactions, can a Room bypass or suppress?
Possible Assets
Jedi not only Force users, get word out that Sith are also targeting them & they should scatter/hide their artifactsBounty Hunters (if had money) people like Bossk/Cad Bane/etc could be put to targets that the Sith wouldn't likeIsn't there that Jedi that poses as a bounty hunter & goes by SW equivalent of John Smith, could get him on Sith trail early?Grab Ventress & her master off Rattatak, she turns pretty close to war, right?HK on Mustafar, need a hitlist** if he is to be willingly recruited (or could threaten to swap his personality into an organic?)Free Shmi, doesn't deserve being fridged (and possibly will improve Anakin's chances of staying non-homicidal)Arla Fett also doesn't deserve Death Watch nonsense (she's in some mental hospital on Coruscant)Darth Maul bought as small child and thrown into literal trash (planet = Lotho Minor?) could he be convinced to work against former master with less indiscriminate murder; he is crazy and maimed on Lotho though so maybe bring him to other Force sect like Guardians on Jedha for healing mind and bodyMaul's brothers also had the Force and the Nightsisters mistreat their menfolk, grab them too before Sith remember Dathomir existSpeaking of Force users, padawan that leaves right before the war and helps refugees - Ferus?Tree Jedi on Ossus, tell him Exar is still kicking or better to let lie? At least people on Yavin should get warned about danger of their planetGranta Omega - he hates Jedi but Banite Sith want to destroy all other Force traditions/users which would have included the father he wants to avenge so badly so could he be content with Jedi just having their rep destroyed and broken into several smaller sects or something? And those same Sith steal his revenge against Jinn and if he knows he's doomed to fail against the next best targets which include "The Chosen One", could he persuaded? Plus, isn't he killed after learning true identity of Sith which is suggestive so just have to convince the Force Blank that Sith not trustworthy and even if they succeed in killing off Jedi, you can't kill an idea like thatOther Jedi hater - can we prevent jedi from kriffing up with Griveous's people and the Mantis looking aliens? If not, help them with aftermath? And if can't prevent Jedi from (unwittingly) acting as corporate enforcers, can we use this as an example of why they need better information vetting because Galidraan makes it clear these aren't one offs?Force repelling lizards can be discount Force Blanks and they'll be more than oneKatana fleetKnow the result of at least one podrace, what else could be "bet" on?
They've Got to Go**
Death Watch - probably funded by Sith (and even if not, they sell slaves and attack civilians and give Mandalorians a bad name)Durge - he's unkillable, but I could swap him with someone who won't work for SithKrell Pong - he turns for power and has brothers shooting at brothersOther dark followers like Sly MooreCan we off royal family from resurgent slave empire before it tries again, starts with a Z?Tarkin - Death StarPretty much every Moff honestly - Gideon, etcPeople who help lay foundations of Empire like Rampart and head of Republic Intelligence (*cough* Propaganda *cough*)
Good Guys Can Do PR Too
Remind people that Force use doesn't belong to Jedi alone so its harder to disappear other sects and make the way someone's born a crime later onHammer home how weak and cowardly Death Watch is & how even if it allows for your traditions it is absolutely worse than pacificists - it's a creed just move away from Pre and Satine and be badass without bowing to evil & if you're spread out in enclaves it's way harder for someone to Night of a Thousand Tears ya'llAlso even if Jedi aren't perfect, they do try & Corps shouldn't be considered a dumping ground for losers but rather people giving valuable serviceGet word out that Plaps demanded that the Jedi give him time with underage boyCounter anti-alien narratives where possibleDon't let clones be considered subhuman
Speaking of PR: Hopefully Sith Consider Fiction Beneath Them
Lilo & Stitch - experiments can be people tooHorizon games story - clone protagonistMurderbot - droid rights and people don't always look like you and having a violent "destiny" doesn't you want to hurt people, also can imply that the corporations having reign over galaxy is inspired by current eventsPocahontas - savages songUmbrella Academy - people with number namesIndiana Jones - can be set in Sith temples and remind people why Sith are terrifying and not to be admired or trusted12 Angry Men - truth not alway apparent to first glance, also racismGame of Thrones - war started by unexpected personStart a news show like the Daily Show/Last Week Tonight so Sith discount it until they can roast Supreme Chancellor and his choices (Zillo Beast for Chancellor, anyone?)The Hobbit & LOTR - war is bad and cooperation between peoples is good, don't want to give Sith immortality ideas thoughHonor Harrington series - also gives a good account of a war nations were manipulated in and has spin-off that addresses slavery on basis of altered genetics like the clonesWrite Ciphas Cain set in historical SW time period - remind people about Sith and then can make comics inspired by that about Palps being the CC of politics where all his victories are accidents where he didn't realize he was convincing people he was on their side since his Palps guise is as well-meaning bumbler and you don't want that to have ultimate powerInclude nonfiction on frivolous topics? Fashion with brief aside on Sith colors, "Hero's Journey" using examples from human and nonhuman stories to show how sentients aren't that different after all?Chapter 3Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Ruusaan resisted the urge to pet Bepo where the porg was curled up on the pilot's seat. It wouldn't do to wake him from his well-deserved rest. Her little furry fashion plate had been very helpful on Coruscant.
His bright orange Jedi robes had been very eye-catching and had helped her to bring up certain topics like the Order (Isn't it just sad how the Jedi children are now being drafted as well? Their patriotism is admirable of course but don't you think we'd all be better off if they'd been more prepared to admit they did not have the necessary experience to run a war instead of bowing to Palpatine insistence? Isn't it just ghastly that after that insistence Palpatine won't leave them to it even though he doesn't have any military experience himself? You'd think his experience as a politician would at least make him sensitive to how all the leaks from his office make him a liability.) without seeming gauche for being the one to bring up the war.
It was too bad that Bepo found the little trooper helmet replica uncomfortable. She'd still been able to get some pointed questions circulating about the clones without that prompt, but it would have been so cute. Perhaps it was for the best though as, though she hadn't considered it until after trying, the clone troopers might have found armor replica made for a pet insulting.
To make it easier to resist temptation - Bepo was the cutest and Ruusaan would throw hands at anyone who said otherwise - she turned her attention to the view of The Third Musketeer, one of the two space stations her oldest brother had had designed and built. Well, Tor and Ijaat and her – the three Musketeers braced together against the encroaching Dark - had planned it together but Tor had been the one to place the order so they could pretend the secrecy around getting them made was so the gift could be a surprise for his "bleeding heart little sister" rather than some other, more serious concern.
It was a big enough galaxy that Sith attention probably wouldn't be drawn to a single philanthropic effort. Even if that effort was two self-sufficient space stations dedicated to offering medical care and furthering (properly ethical) medical research. It was hoped that acting to alleviate suffering generally could make the actions directed at more specific Sith activity more effective.
Plus, trying to keep the creation of their own space stations on the downlow gave them some good insight into the challenges the Sith might face with their own secret projects. It might be a big galaxy out there but the Sith having crazy credits didn't change that there were only so many places to spend those credits. The number of sellers to watch also went down if the buyer wanted their purchases to be made quietly, especially in bulk.
Back when they were kids, Ruusaan had even floated the idea of also creating their own lawless space station ala Mass Effect's Omega in tandem with a more altruistic station. Even if some of the finer details remained fuzzy (Had there been a specific pirate being funded to make the last Chancellor look incompetent?), she knew that the Sith often used the criminal element to further their own agendas. Having a finger on the pulse was just prudence.
Plus, hadn't both Granta and Maul run criminal empires in the original timeline? They would never have bothered if there wasn't real money and power in it. And if they got them on-side, Ruusaan had mused, there would be expert advice available.
Tor had vetoed the idea though. Her dearest eldest brother didn't think it was worth the investment of time and effort or the risk of legal penalties without a guarantee it was helpful combating Sith influence. Afterall, suffering empowered them did it not?
He wasn't wrong though Ruusaan had still played Sith's advocate. With the galaxy on the line, she felt compelled to give every option, distasteful or not, considered thought. Ijaat had just rolled his eyes and pointed out that Nal Hutta and Canto Bight already existed. They could buy information or place agents in already extant hives of scum and villainy. No need to make the universe any worse. That was the Sith's job.
So, The Third Musketeer's twin station Heart of Gold did not end up a place where the only law was to not fuck with the owners. It was probably for the best, but the prior discussion about possibly making it a lawless zone had inspired a surprisingly useful duty-free policy. If they facilitated some tax-free trade in an area they owned every inch of and that trade let them keep an eye on rich people's vices and such?
Well, that was just for money of course. It was mere coincidence that it was also useful for gathering information that about economic and political fuckery.
Looking out the front viewport at the space station serving as proof that she had the best brothers, Ruusaan wanted to shout a defiant "Oya!" to celebrate, to show how the sight of home had snatched the fear from her shoulders. She had been within spitting distance of the Sith's seat of power, and he hadn't taken any notice. She had valuable intel to impart, and it seemed there would be no ship accidents or pirates intercepting her return. Her, and Granta, returned triumphant.
Ruusaan was often afraid. How could she not be? She understood the extremes Sith were capable without being certain of her knowledge of their limits. But drinking in the sight of The Third Musketeer, that fear was easier to ignore. It was a testament to the fact that blows had been already struck against the galaxy's would-be dictator and, most importantly, her fight was not being fought alone.
Even if the Polar Tang had never made it back the fight would go on. There would be no "going gently". They'd "rage against the dying of the light". The station's name was a promise. A reminder of Tor and Ijaat full-throated belief in her dire predictions and their determination to join her in fighting off a galaxy spanning threat.
Pulled from one of her out-universe stories, it was a reference to the three sworn siblings sticking together through thick and thin. Though Ijaat liked to tease that he only suggested it as a prank since calling their second station The Third Musketeer implied they had asecret third station hidden out there.
Ruusaan put a lot of her brothers' acceptance and support to the fact she had demonstrable powers and that she suckered them into a special world saving quest back when they were still kids. She shuddered to think where she would she be if they had thought she was crazy or if her grim descriptions of the future convinced them that struggling wasn't worth it.
She was drawn out of her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder. She startled and turned to Granta. He gestured to Bepo. They were close to landing and the porg was still in the pilot's seat. She carefully moved him into the co-pilot seat, letting Granta take the pilot's seat without waking the little darling.
Granta tsked. "You spoil it."
"How can I help it?" Ruusaan whispered from her new place behind the pilot's seat. "He's cute and cuddly and fashionable to boot."
Granta didn't bother whispering back. "What are you going to say about your father?"
Ruusaan wasn't fazed by the abrupt change in conversation. She had actually expected the question sooner. Only her brothers were owed answers about Kal, but Granta was family in his own way. Everyone who thrown in with their cause was as far as she was concerned.
It was true that Granta and her were only so close which she would readily admit was mostly her fault. The awkwardness of meeting someone she knew as a character had been the worst with him. With people like Shmi and Arla the only thing she really knew about them was that they'd been dealt a raw hand, and she wanted them to have the chance at better endings. With Granta she had opinions about the parenting skills of the father he so wanted to avenge. But of course, you can't just tell people how they should feel or what revenge is worth.
Tor had been the one to convince Granta to their cause. Ruusaan still didn't know what had been the winning argument that had gotten the Force blank to decide to help them. Certainly, Tor and Granta's romance hadn't come until much later. Still, she held him and his skills in high regard and, his partner's sister or not, Granta was mockingly obvious when he didn't respect someone.
So, she felt safe replying, "The truth. Kal and I talked, and it went … okay. It was civil. I didn't read him in on our problem, but he'll probably be amenable to helping us with side objectives we can give him plausible explanations for."
Granta didn't reply right away, seemingly focused on the ship controls. Ruusaan hesitated then continued. "I don't hate him. I think I could be okay with being on good terms. Only if that's what my brothers want though," her lip curled. "And only if he isn't going to play patriarch with us the way he does with the clones."
"Tor told me what happened the last time he did."
"It wasn't quite the same with us. The Nulls had to be made deadly if they weren't to be scrapped but from what I know about them that's all he made them – "death on two legs". But what about more general life skills? Hobbies? What about nurturing good judgment?"
Granta snorted. "Anyone who walked away from your brother isn't capable of teaching good judgement." Half turning to meet Ruusaan's eyes he followed up with, "And any of you would be deadly even with no legs."
Ruusaan lowered her eyes as if feeling shy. "Well, in my case, I have my special help." Granta was not only one of the handful of people aware of the Ope Ope no Mi abilities but also one of the even smaller group who knew that they came from her (and not the complicated looking bit of machinery she held to mislead when using her Devil Fruit powers).
She tried to brush past it, "Anyway, as long as my brothers are okay with it, I'm okay with it. Kal shouldn't have made parenting decisions unilaterally but that would be between him and mom and it's too late for that now. If he'd framed it better as self-defense or something, she might not have left. My real beef is how rattled Tor was after."
"Rattled?" Granta's voice gained an edge. "Didn't your mother leave because she thought he started training too young?"
Ruusaan shifted on her feet a bit. Tor usually only talked about stuff to do with their father in terms of what happened and avoided how it made him feel. "Well, yes. He took Tor on a training trip without asking. Part of the training was self-sufficiency in the wilds. Tor was reluctant to hunt. Kal was harsh about "weakness". He had … ideas about proper Mando behavior in a son."
"That's –
Granta was cut off by the chime announcing a comm call. He frowned but accepted. Ijaat's tiny holographic figure greeted the two of them. Ruusaan fought the urge to frown herself. She was happy to see her brother and he seemed in good spirits but what couldn't wait for the literal minutes until the Polar Tang landed?
Ijaat didn't leave them in suspense long. Tor was stuck in a meeting with some envoy of the Duchess so the briefing about their Coruscant trip would be delayed. However, with an obvious relish, Ijaat informed he had "just" the news to keep them from being bored while waiting for Tor to wrap up negotiations.
Ruusaan laughed as the comm connection cut out without elaboration. That brat! Being a holo director had made him unbearably dramatic. She plastered herself to the back of the pilot seat and gripped tightly to brace for final descent while leaning close to plot with Granta. "We'll have to be sure to not seem too interested in whatever this is about, or he'll be insufferable."
"Agreed."
***
Alas! The news was too good for Ruusaan to pretend to be aloof. Tarkin was dead. Which was excellent to hear but also surprising. It was true his name was on the wishlist that she had provided for HK-47 (so he could technically be choosing his targets himself and take advantage of the fact that droid intentions were supposed to be harder to sense in the Force).
However, Tarkin had only just been added to the list as one of the people they wanted dead only after Clone Wars kicked off. It would seem that Ruusaan had either overestimated the difficulty of killing a Republic officer during a war or she had underestimated HK-47. Either way, she resolved to give him a gift in gratitude for this latest "good deed" as an apology for her lack of faith.
Sadly, any gifts would have to wait as their dear murderous droid was currently secreting himself away on the transport of their New Mandalorian visitors. Now that the war was happening and being distracting for any Sith backers, it wasn't just time for certain unsavory individuals to get their due.
There were groups that needed dealing with too. Groups like Death Watch would also be getting a taste of their own medicine. The rot in Mandalorian Space would finally be cut out. Doctor's orders.
It simply wouldn't do to have terrorists embedded in the same sector of space as Heart of Gold. What if they mistook the station's nature as easy prey? Even if Ruusaan and company didn't currently have a space station in that sector, they wanted to promote the stability and safety in Neutral Space as much as possible.
The Republic was currently imploding after hundreds of years of Sith fuckery. Maybe it would make it, maybe it wouldn't. Afterall, it wasn't impossible that the Jedi and what few civic minded Senators remained to pull an upset.
Ruusaan certainly didn't want to be in a universe where the Empire was fated. No one on The Third Musketeer was willing to bet on the Republic pulling to together and reforming itself into a moral or efficient system anytime soon (and, of course, they were unhappily – canon Ruusaan had been arrested for her political sympathies for a reason - aware that the Separatists were no true option) however.
Whatever happened there, better for everyone if the Neutral Space wasn't suckered into either side or, in the worst case, assimilated into the Empire.
Before, they could get into the implications of Tarkin's death like who the enemy might choose as his replacement, Qymaen joined Ruusaan and Ijaat and Granta where they were plotting at the kitchen island. They readily included him in the conversation and food though Ruusaan hesitated over whether to bring up the control chips. The kaleesh would need to know about them for his mission to Kamino, but Tor should be done soon.
Qymaen forestalled any report from the two returning from Coruscant with a raised hand. He could hold his curiosity until Tor joined them. It would be better to get everything sorted at once instead of playing comm and possibly garble information. Instead, he let Granta and Ruusaan know about the Opress brothers' progress in alerting non-Jedi Force groups about the terrible danger headed their way.
Their cover as mere Dathomir escapes who wanted to learn about the Force that had been denied them as males was holding strong. It didn't hurt that the three men were genuinely curious, and that they knew the danger that every piece of Force knowledge was in. If they couldn't convince a sect or tradition of that danger, they could at least preserve what they themselves learned.
Qymaen was amused to report that the Guardians of the Whills would soon be receiving a dozen recently rescued children courtesy of the chaos that seemed inevitable with three Force sensitives traveling together. Of course, the children narrowly escaping slavery was no laughing matter, but it was entertaining how often Feral pulled his older brothers into trouble. Savage was resigned to his fate, but Maul was extremely goal-oriented and often seemed angrily bewildered that he'd been pulled into yet another do-gooder side quest.
Ijaat proposed a toast to recent successes. Ruusaan seconded his proposal. Children had been saved. Tarkin was dead. Her and Granta had made it off Coruscant! It was time to pull out the good stuff. She was sure they had some Breath of Heaven from that one idiot Senator who thought Tor's goodwill could be bought.
Ruusaan went to grab it, but Ijaat and Granta stopped her. They were of one mind on this. She was entirely too heavy handed with alcohol. Even if they didn't end making mixed drinks, someone – anyone – else was playing bartender this night. Well, it was technical very early morning at this point, but their resolve remained. She could drink, not pour.
Ruusaan was too pleased with current events to be offended. "We have to save some for Tor though. This is the really, really expensive stuff."
"Save what for me?" Tor wanted to know.
***
Prudii lay back turning over what he'd seen of the The Third Musketeer so far. He was currently set up in a temporary guest room on the nicest bunk he'd ever been in. Free of charge. Plus, the station, supposedly focused on teaching and research, had offered him (Well, technically his cover identity.) free medical care.
There hadn't been any pressure for payback like donating blood or partaking in clinical testing or anything. The in-take officer had stressed that any donations were voluntary and completely optional and not a condition of treatment. Though the officer had followed that up with a joke, which turned out to be more truthful than not, that if Prudii wanted better to eat than hospital food that would take credits.
Prudii hadn't landed on the station with a serious injury. Just a toe he had broken as an excuse. It had still earned him status as a patient and his doctor, a softspoken togruta, had accepted when the clone refused a full exam. Though the doctor had made a point of mentioning that the option remained available if he changed his mind.
Prudii was still wary. No matter how nice the station had been so far, it hard to believe that any scientists, even if they were working for Kal'buir's ade, were acting out of the goodness of their hearts. He wanted to find out this station wasn't hiding something sinister, that they had gotten in touch with Kal'buir for good reasons, but Prudii didn't have faith in the galaxy or its inhabitants being fair or kind.
Though it sometimes did provide good luck. Prudii had re-routed to The Third Musketeer while Ruusaan Skirata was still on Triple Zero. He'd gotten a bug on Tor Skirata today to make it look related to the negotiations with the dar'manda Duchess's people. Listening to those meetings had yielded little information and a lot of boredom.
He could almost respect Tor for remaining civil as talking points got repeated over and over but Prudii couldn't understand why the man didn't just shut them down. The Heart of Gold was already in Mandalorian Space and the Duchess didn't have the firepower to change that. What was the point of listening to this whining?
During a recess for "refreshments to cool tempers" Prudii had taken his own break. While stretching his legs he'd learned that his choice of rotation to plant the bug was excellent as the Polar Tang was expected same day. As long as no one caught on to him listening in, he had a good chance to hear Ruusaan and Tor speak candidly about Kal'buir. How could the buir they hadn't seen in years not be the first thing they spoke of?
It had made him more impatient with listening to the back-and-forth with the New Mandos but he stayed the course and then, finally, Tor was talking to his sister. Except three other people also greeted Tor. If the siblings weren't alone, it made sense that they didn't immediately discuss Kal'buir. Prudii could have done without the delay on what he most wanted to know but he dutifully took notes to follow up on what he was overhearing.
The group was celebrating, and they wanted Tor to join in. Apparently, someone called Feral (A codename, maybe?) had roped his brothers in saving some ade. Prudii allowed this was worth celebrating and it occurred to him that possibly a station offering medical care would be a useful asset to any freedom trails. Could it be that this station had secrets that were good?
The next bit of "good news" was more alarming. Ruusaan was especially pleased that someone named Tarkin was dead. Prudii too had a few people he'd like to see dead so had been about to shrug it off (albeit with a note to look up whoever it was later) when she'd said, perfectly serious, that it meant that if Alderaan did get destroyed it'd be someone else pulling the trigger.
This was alarming to hear for a number of reasons. How was the destruction of an entire planet meant to be achieved? "Pulling the trigger" implied a weapon. But even if such a weapon was possible, how could Republic Intelligence possibly have missed it? Not even caught a whisper of a rumor?
Alderaan was in the Core. If it was in serious danger, he shouldn't be learning about it from a civie doctor who he wasn't even monitoring for that kind of information!
Kal'buir was not going to be happy about any of this. Republic Intelligence was even more of a joke than they'd thought and his biological ade were knee deep in something. It didn't sound like Seppie talk to Prudii, but how was he to explain it beyond that?
He supposed that Tor had meeting with New Mando types. It was possible that Tor and the rest were working for the Neutral coalition. Even if they stayed out of the war, ignoring and hoping it would go away would be di'kutla.
Before Prudii could jot down more theories to mull over, Tor asked if the good alcohol meant the news from Triple Zero was good or bad. At his question, the tone shifted.
One of the voices Prudii didn't recognize said they should break out the jammers which made Prudii curse in every language he knew. It was less extensive swearing than Mereel might manage but Prudii was equally capable of making his displeasure known.
Just when he might have been able to determine if Kal'buir was being used or not, the (Possibly not?) civies remembered about information security. It was infuriating. And not a great sign if they felt they had secrets to hide on their own karking station.
However, just before the connection was cut, it seemed that Ruusaan couldn't stop herself. "They're real. We grabbed as many as we could outside 79's and it wasn't a fluke. They all had them. We have to be careful. If they go off..."
"They won't. We'll stop it." The voice that Prudii thought corresponded to Ijaat Skirata tried to reassure her.
Prudii was instantly concerned. He was familiar with 79's. What were the chances that the few that got grabbed were clones? And he'd thought that Kal'buir would be upset earlier.
Osik.
Notes:
Big thanks to caffeine (which at this point runs thick through my veins) and a vintage playlist (ft.The Glamourous Life) for helping me power though this month generally. And, more specifically, the idea to make an action plan from Ruusaan's POV. It was fun to make, and I recommend it as technique for getting in a character's head.
Chapter 4: ROB's LetterSummary:
A note attached a box covered in One Piece themed wrapping paper.
Or: The singular communication between whatever led to being reincarnated in Star Wars and Ruusaan,
Chapter Text
Hiya Ruusaan!
You don't remember but I grabbed your soul after that untimely demise of yours. We had a little philosophical chat, and I decided you had the right stuff. No need to thank me. (°▽°)/
The whole second life is a gift, free of charge. No expectations. Just live life with your knowledge of what's to come. You could run away if you want even. There'll be no further interference from moi. ¯\_( ͡☉ ͜ʖ ͡☉)_/¯
And don't worry too much about the Force thing you were so worried about interfering either. I made you look unremarkable to this universe. Invisible wasn't possible but you can think of yourself as under a Notice-Me-Not to Force senses. ;)
- You're welcome from your friendly neighborhood ROB
P.S. You were so polite I couldn't help but want to give you a little extra oomph. Since you wouldn't accept the Force, please accept this small bodywarming gift. (//▽//)
Chapter 5Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Impressive, aren't they?" Ruusaan asked as she took a seat next to Prudii on the bench nearest to the spar mats. She had nodded towards where her brother, Ijaat, was sparring with the Kaleesh warrior, Qymaen. Prudii didn't twitch. He'd clocked her from where he'd been sitting down to rest like a natborn would after a heavy workout when she had first come into the gym.
"Yes," he easily agreed. They were both skilled though Prudii didn't recognize the fighting style of either man. Qymaen was an alien so that wasn't so surprising, especially given his use of a stave. Prudii was trained in a variety of weapons but as someone expected to fight droids and to quietly infiltrate staffs were not a focus of his.
There was something that was catching his attention about Ijaat though. Fighting styles had patterns. They were developed to redirect momentum or make use of a species advantage or otherwise refine some useful feature.
Ijaat was lean so a style that preferred speed made sense, but he was tall, for a human anyway, so he would be better off with a style that made better use of his reach too. It could just be civvies' settling for less than the best but there was something about it. As Ijaat moved to get in close, Prudii suddenly understood.
"That style is for fighting Jedi, isn't it?" he accused.
Ruusaan was surprised and turned from watching the spar to assess Prudii. "For Force users generally, actually. Jedi like to pretend they're the only path for proper Force use but that's just Republic propaganda. They wouldn't be much of a stick if other Force traditions were allowed to flourish, would they?"
"And your brother runs into enough of them to need to able to defend himself?" Prudii scoffed.
Ruusaan smiled, unoffended. "Oh, no. Ijaat learned it while doing research for one of his holofilms. It turned out well though. He enjoys the discipline and keeping in shape. That you recognized that, you must have a good eye. That makes this easier."
Prudii was too disciplined to tense or otherwise react and let her continue, "I'm sorry for prying but I checked out the occupation of all guests currently on the station and you're listed as a bounty hunter."
Prudii raised an eyebrow at that. "And you've got a bounty you need taken in?"
"Oh, no. I wouldn't bypass the Guild that way." She waved away his question. Prudii couldn't help thinking with that wording, seeing as they were sitting on a station her family owned, that she wouldn't bypass the Guild that way only because of an in-house specialist. She offered up her request before he had to ask. "I need to get a message to someone."
Prudii couldn't resist a sardonic look around the gym. She could afford all this but not a set of comms? If the "message" wasn't the bullet in a rival or something, and even if it was, weren't there better options?
Ruusaan wasn't offended though. "I came across some information. It was an accident and not immoral or illegal, but I don't want to come to the wrong attention over it. A bounty hunter I only have a tenuous connection with and who can be paid for discretion seemed like a good choice."
"If you're worried about the wrong kind of attention, who is this going to? A Hutt or something?"
"No, Republic Intelligence."
Prudii was confused. If she wanted to pass something along to RepInt, wouldn't Kal'buir be her best option? He couldn't say that as, evidently, she had bought his cover story. To explain away his reaction he asked, "You want a message going to an entire organization?"
"Ah, no. Just as high up the food chain as you can manage. I'll give you a data packet, but the highlight is that there are parasites on Geonosis capable of puppeting bodies, dead or alive."
What the kark? "And you just know this?"
"Like I said, I happened across this knowledge involuntarily. I'm not interested in getting spied on just because I know something sort of secret about the biology of a Separatist species. I'd like this information to become known. Just … anonymously."
"I can do that." Prudii agreed. After all, he could do it and probably even would. If she was being truthful, then he even wanted that information disseminated among the ranks. It was already bad enough that the clones were fighting a war they had no stake in, outright control would be even worse. He wouldn't keep anything from Kal'buir or his brothers but keeping RepInt in the dark about sources was fine. Though to keep in character he added, "For a price."
Ruusaan was pleased to accept his terms and bounced out of her seat. "Excellent. You're leaving today, right? I'll have someone drop the data and the contract in your room right away. Once I have the signed contract, you'll have your fee. I'm sure when you see the numbers you'll agree it's quite a generous amount to receive from someone you simply can't recall the name of."
From where Ruusaan now stood in front of him, she extended a hand. Prudii now had even more questions to bring to Kal'buir but, no matter how weird it seemed the answers would end up being, he had a hard time picturing them as malevolent. He took the hand she offered and shook firmly.
***
"Good Tor. Glad you could make it," Arla teased the eldest Skirata boy as she reached out to his arm in a warrior's clasp. "Even if you are late."
Tor suppressed an eyeroll. He was glad that Arla could joke about her former captor. Still, being called "Good Tor" to differentiate from the dead Vizsla referred to as "Bad Tor" felt juvenile to him. Like something out of Pantoran soap opera with evil clones or swapped at birth storylines.
He supposed it could always be worse. Ijaat had suggested several fake regnal names to poke fun at Vizsla's instance that a sword, even a special one, made him worthy of ruling a people. Vizsla might deserve to be remembered as "Tor the Overcompensating" or something similar, but Ijaat would surely have tried to stick his brother with something equally silly (though less insulting… probably).
"You've made quick work of them. How could I arrived early enough to participate?" he praised, knowing she would not have been the one to meet him at the temporary landing zone if the compound hadn't already been cleared of hostiles.
Arla shook her head. "I knew what to expect of them. Death Watch hasn't changed much but we shouldn't get complacent. They're still dangerous."
"So are we." Tor was resolute. Death Watch would have stolen him and his sibling like Arla if given the chance. That they hadn't gotten that chance was immaterial. He wanted them destroyed. With their Sith backing distracted by a shadow war, it was time to strike and end them for good.
Arla assessed him before returning his smile with teeth. "We are." She gestured for Tor to walk with her. "There hasn't been any comms from HK yet but there have been a rash of deaths in the Duchess's government, so we'll probably hear from him soon enough."
Tor snorted. "Any odds on if she'll figure out all the dead weren't really her people?"
Arla shrugged. "Who cares? None of ours answer to her. The real question is if someone else will try for Mand'alor once Pre's dead. It's too bad you won't, you'd be a good at it," She paused, considering. "It could even be a good workaround. You don't have to worry about refusing the call of the Mand'alor if you are the Mand'alor."
Tor held back a frown. He thought Arla was a much better candidate. She been raised in the culture and her squad would follow her anywhere, but she'd said she didn't want it. He just wasn't sure if that was because she thought of herself as unworthy or because she genuinely didn't want it. It was too bad that the clone interested in the position had been a non-starter from their perspective.
His sister had said that one of the older clones, Alphas he thought she'd called them, would try and fail though she couldn't remember how. She didn't even remember his name but was certain he lived past the war since she'd found his death bitterly pointless. Mistaken for someone else and killed for the other clone's bad parenting. The tragedy meant he stuck in Ruusaan's memory enough to have them keeping an eye out for him.
They'd turned up a "Spar" and his efforts to rebuild the Super Commandos. Sadly, Spar had been altogether too invested in the Separatists. Given the clone's background he could hardly be blamed for wanting to work against the Republic, but Tor couldn't justify helping someone who, if actually in charge, would embroil the Mandalorians in the Sith's puppet show.
If they ever met in person, Tor could get a read on him. Spar might be able to be swayed from his current path with the truth. Or as much as the truth as could safely be imparted. Especially now they were certain of the chips existing as physical evidence pointing to the kind of depths that everyone was swimming in right now.
Tor hoped that they were able to actually prevent the rise of the Emperor or, at least, his uncontested rise. Either way the utility of back-up of a third state not exhausted into apathy or compliance by the war was obvious. He simply couldn't deny Ijaat's certainty that stopping the "Big Bad" wouldn't be enough to save the Republic. Removing bad actors didn't change that the system they acted in was kriffed up.
So, once that behemoth fell? Chaos. A strong coalition of planets engaged in mutual defense would be Ka'ra sent. And it would take warriors to defend it.
Which was a bit of a problem given the Duchess was the one keeping the Neutral Systems holding together and she was a dedicated proponent of pacifism. Tor and his siblings didn't want to revive the Crusades or anything but if she couldn't accept violence even in self-defense? That could complicate resisting the Sith.
Maul might not be taking over Death Watch to violently overthrow her, but the Sith had been backing that faction to keep the option open. Hells, even if they wiped Death Watch completely there were other traditionalists. And even if those detractors never moved against her, the Sith could just hire someone to see to her assassination and blame it on whoever who provide the most chaos.
Satine Kryze had held onto the government of a people that she completely disdained and that was riddled with ideological opponents. Tor didn't think much of Pre's competence, but he also didn't think Satine Kryze was in power only due to luck. If she could just be practical about her principles and stay alive to keep holding the Neutral Systems together, that would be best from their point of view.
And if it turned out she couldn't be sensible… Well, he'd replace her with someone that would if he had to. He wasn't limited to killing her or finding a shapeshifter who was loyal and skilled enough. Ruusaan could swap in a personality aligned with them that was more capable of compromise and no would have to be the wiser that Kryze was gone. Though they'd have to be cautious of alerting her Jedi beau.
So, Tor disagreed with Arla's assessment twofold. It was more important that that there was no one uniting Mandalorians in a manner beneficial the Sith than actually uniting them well. And if they were to be united, he was not the right person to do it.
He told her as much, "Ka'ra forbid. Herding Mandalorians sounds like a nightmare. Options may be thin on the ground but there must be at least one capable warrior with a modicum of charisma who isn't a raging war criminal or, as a last resort, willing to give up those tactics. Then they just need to agree not to get involved with any of the Sith running around."
He sighed. Having said that, the bar seemed insultingly low. It was also too much like counting the monkey-lizards before they'd been caught. "Plus, this is all moot until someone finally puts a slug in that empty cavity of space in Pre's head that should house a brain."
Arla allowed for the deflection. She wanted to wheedle him some more, but Tor was right, priorities. "Then let's go see to it, shall we?"
Notes:
Big thanks to Ruusaan's dawning realization that she had totally forgotten about that other mind control threat while they were brainstorming, sweet, sweet caffeine, and a playlist that included Ride or Die.
Notes:
Star Wars offers a /lot/ of minor characters, and I was interested in writing an SI who wasn't integral to the main plot. Ruusaan ended up being my choice because talk about free real estate. What do we really know about her except she got imprisoned for working against the Republic and only got out of it because her brothers asked their estranged father for help? She also doesn't have native advantages like money or nobility or etc.
Horns was my chosen clone contact because I get himbo vibes from him. I probably won't write it since it feels like more than a one-shot to me, but I kind of want to write him accidently becoming Mand'alor. It wouldn't be that hard either, he could just win that encounter with Pre Vizla with more finality.
This fic wouldn't cooperate with me until I wrote out the action plan she made at 5 years old when the memories kicked in and she got the note and Devil Fruit from her ROB so this fic is due to being inspired to do that by having written my Gamer's Homebrew, the caffeine that kept me going through said writing, and a playlist featuring countdown songs like "Four Five Seconds".
Series this work belongs to:Part 1 of No Longer a Oneshot Next Work →