Qat Chrystac

[Mavanger]

The Raven's Bane jumped into orbit over Qat Chrystac with a small protective detail of frigates and corvettes, Darth Mavanger gazing through the glass of the observation deck at the unfamiliar world. He had never been here himself, though from what he understood, it was a world important to the Mandalorians that now bolstered the Sith forces en masse. Behind him, the captain snapped to attention. She was young, with only one battle under her belt, but he had sensed great potential in her. With the right guidance, she would become a worthy successor to the tactical aptitude that Jarvus had brought to his fleet.

 

The role she couldn't fill, however, was the one that Jarvus had held in his personal life.

 

"My lord, we have arrived at Qat Chrtac and have opened communications with the local leadership. All that remains is confirmation of our cargo, and we will be prepared for the operation."

 

He had told few of the upcoming battle. The Dark Lord was relying on surprise, and the number of officers that he trusted seemed to drop with every battle, whether it be through loss of life or redeployment of forces. He could still remember his war council- Half a dozen Sith Lords rallied to his cause, with a myriad of veteran officers. His thoughts lingered on them, and on what he had now. Untested officers and replacement troops. Even his elite vanguard was down to half their number, and his personal guard was at half their numbers with only 4 left standing. Even they would likely fall soon, knowing what he knew was coming.

 

"Very well, Captain. Contact the shipyard. I will inspect the cargo personally before it is loaded, and I will need to inspect our reinforcements."

[Mavanger]

Mordecai would usually be remiss docking his ship to the shipyard of such a new ally. The rebels fed on deceit, betrayal, and rebellion, and trusting new allies was made harder for it. What soothed his was their performance at Naboo. The Mandalorians had a history for brutality, which showed when he had given the order to sack Theed. That, followed by Lady Nyrys's commendation and her assertation of their loyalty, put him at ease. His crew was efficient, and within minutes they were successfully docked in the shipyard and Darth Mavanger was in the hangar of the massive shipyard awaiting the cargo.

 

Around him were what was left of his personal guard, their armor painted red and gold to match his. They stood at ease, their usual watchfulness in their eyes as they gazed across the open space at the troops and dockworkers moving about. Sergeant Pilon, the ranking trooper after the death of his captain on Naboo, stepped towards Darth Mavanger, giving a small bow as courtesy.

 

"My Lord, nothing seems amiss here, but we will keep our eyes open."

 

Mordecai grunted. The Sergeant was a good man, and command of the small team had come naturally to him, but he fell back of procedure too often. Here in the midst of Mandalorians, there was no need for titles or bows.

 

"At ease, Sergeant. If they planned on betraying the Sith, they would have already. Your bowing won't change that."

[Mavanger]

Mordecai nodded. The troops were well equipped- At the very least, they had the gear for the job. He had a promise of efficiency, but only time would tell how they truly functioned in battle.

 

"He praises your abilities, Lerr. I will inform you of our objective once we reach Naboo." He looked at the fighters Tros motioned to, nodding. "Do not worry about lodging. We've lost many people and have the quarters to spare. Keep your thanks- We are allies now. You will come to find that I do not leave those who are my allies without support when when needed."

 

The time for the invasion was close- from here they would both likely head straight to Naboo, and prepare for the invasion of Nar Shaddaa. Mordecai's thrist for battle was usually strong, at least. Kuat, Geonosis, Trulalis. But now, faced with what this war had cost him, and with what was ahead of them, he found himself merely wanting the war to end. End, so that the Sith could rebuild. But he knew that wasn't what was coming. Everything he had done would have been in vain. Every death in the name of an empire that wasn't his. It never had been. Both Exodus and Nyrys played at propaganda and subterfuge, trying to beat the rebels at their own game. It wasn't a war he was prepared for, to say the lease.

 

"I leave for Naboo tomorrow. Make sure your fighters are loaded by then, and follow me when your forces are ready for the invasion."