"How does it feel?" Max asked with a grin as he helped Christopher Rane adjust the Thornflower ornament on his formal jacket.
"Flashy and useless." Christopher Rane curled his lip. "I'd rather be wearing armor."
Max chuckled and patted his personal guard captain's shoulder. Then he turned to the Mandalorian Armed Forces representatives from the Bespin delegation, who were standing at attention in New Mandalorian-style formalwear, and asked, "What about you guys?"
"We'd rather wear armor too." // "It's uncomfortable." // "The New Mandalorians are sick in the head, designing clothes this deranged." // …
Going to the banquet without armor had been the plan from the start. Coruscant had been peaceful for so long that people had forgotten war—showing up to the Senate's welcome banquet in beskar armor would be a great way to scare the nobles half to death.
As for wearing New Mandalorian-style formalwear, that was an idea Max had picked up on the fly—something he'd learned from Palpatine earlier that afternoon. Worth mentioning: Coruscant's industrial capacity was genuinely terrifying. From scanning body measurements to delivering perfectly tailored outfits, the whole process took less than fifteen minutes.
From a "political animal" perspective, having the Bespin Mandalorian Armed Forces attend a formal occasion in New Mandalorian formalwear was an unmistakable gesture of goodwill toward the New Mandalorians—Almec would understand it, and Duchess Satine would understand it too.
But Max was well aware Satine would not accept that goodwill—she was an extremist pacifist.
On the original timeline—during the Clone Wars—even when Black Sun and Death Watch were practically at the door, Duchess Satine still refused to arm the New Mandalorians to protect themselves. She would never accept remnants of the warrior-faction like the Bespin Mandalorian Armed Forces.
I've already extended goodwill first—but Duchess Satine won't accept it. So, Almec… what are you going to think?
On the original timeline, Prime Minister Almec, dissatisfied with Duchess Satine's extreme pacifism, ultimately leaned toward Death Watch and became a high-level mole embedded within the New Mandalorian faction.
("Stop choosing between those two dead-end extremes. Come to me instead. What I can offer you is far more than either of them ever will.")
"At tonight's welcome banquet, Max raised his glass to Almec. "Lord Almec, please convey this to Duchess Satine: we, the Bespin Mandalorian Armed Forces, are willing to contribute our strength to building a prosperous and powerful Mandalore. We are willing to be Mandalore's sword and shield!" "For Mandalore!"
"For Mandalore!" Almec tipped his head back and drained his drink in one go. "This is the right way. I'll personally pass along your goodwill to Duchess Satine."
…
Galactic Standard Calendar Year 4, November 14, morning. Top conference chamber of the Jedi High Council spire.
"Stay calm."
Max grabbed Christopher Rane's hand as it reached for his lightsaber and pulled him down to sit cross-legged on the floor. Seeing that, Aayla Secura let out a breath—awkward, but relieved—and sat down as well.
"Lord Vizsla, Mr. Rane," Master Yoda explained, "tradition it is. Always has been, of the Jedi High Council. Directed at you, it is not."
"I know, Master Yoda." Max smiled and nodded. "But forgive me for saying a little more. Just because it's always been that way—does that automatically make it right? In this situation, anyone from the secular world would look at the three of us and think we're here to be judged by the Jedi High Council, not to hold talks with the Jedi High Council." 1
"Mmm. Reason there is. Good." Master Yoda hopped down from his chair first. "Sit on the floor, we will. All of us."
And just like that, an unusually formatted meeting began.
Master Yoda got straight to the point. "Lord Vizsla, a Jedi as mentor or adviser you wish to hire. Why?"
"Because my heart leans toward the light—but from time to time I'm still disturbed by the dark side of the Force." Max answered. "So I want to hire a teacher aligned with the light, someone who can guide me onto the correct path. I think a Jedi is my best choice—if I'm fortunate enough to be granted that honor."
"Lord Vizsla, do you even know what the light side of the Force is, and what the dark side is?" the motherfucker guy asked with a black face.
"And you are?" Max asked, though he clearly already knew.
"Mace Windu." The motherfucker guy kept his face dark, giving a slight nod in greeting.
Max nodded back, then said:
"Master Windu, I do have my own understanding of the light side and the dark side. But as a 'wild' Force-sensitive, I'm sure my personal theory has problems here and there. So I ask you—and all the Masters present—to be generous with your guidance and corrections."
"When I meditate through the Force, in my inner world, there are two vortices tangled together." At this, Max scratched his head awkwardly. "Does this room have a holoprojector? I still can't do Force illusions."
"Aayla," Master Yoda gestured.
"Yes, Master Yoda." Aayla Secura stood, jogged to the control alcove, fiddled with the settings, and then called back, "All set, Lord Vizsla."
With the holoprojector's help, Max drew a rotating symbol in midair—two interlocking spirals of light and shadow, each containing a "seed" of the other—and began to explain.
"I interpret this bright, tranquil vortex as the light side made manifest, and that dark, restless vortex as the dark side. Look at the two 'eyes'—each vortex contains the other."
As he spoke, Max swept his hand, and the twin spirals began to rotate.
"In my inner world, these two vortices tangle and chase each other like this—over and over, cycling without end."
"That's it." Max sat back down, spread his hands, and lifted them upward, enlarging the symbol and raising it higher into the air.
Around the chamber, the well-traveled Masters began murmuring to one another.
…
PS: In this chapter, the "inner world" concept (an internal realm/cosmos) is not the author's personal invention—it's a concept that exists in the official material. The new-canon novel The High Republic: Light of the Jedi expands on this idea.
In their respective inner worlds, Master Avar Kriss understands the Force as music; Master Elzar Mann understands it as the deep sea; Burryaga Agaburry understands it as a towering tree; Douglas Sunvale understands it as a set of massive interlocking gears; and Loden Greatstorm understands it as wind.
If any Jedi Masters/Sith Lords feel this is a little jarring, please bear with it.
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