The summons came exactly when I predicted, the moment the sun was about to touch the western edge of the continent. By then, I wasn't even surprised when the knocking came and the same captain was there, waiting to escort us to the conference room.
"It's time."
He said in a voice that was as if it were our trial... Well. Kind of...? But it wasn't us who were going to be judged. Of course, we all followed him and the rest of his squad, remaining silent. Looking around, the halls were louder now than they'd been when we arrived, which was no wonder, as Mandalore's capital city was still awake, even the tower, as it was filled with traffic of people coming and going. Still, all of it similarly disappeared after we entered the turbolift and began heading upwards, towards the same room where we had our private meeting with the Unifier.
Waiting for us there was another set of guards, different heraldry marked on their pauldrons, and as far as I could tell, they were the personal attendants of the clan leaders who would be present today. Then... there was a weird feeling creeping up my back. I had to make a face without wanting to, because Vila noticed it, raising an eyebrow towards me questioningly.
"Can't you feel it?" I whispered to her and watched as she reached out to the Force... and then shook her head.
"What? I feel nothing..."
"That's it..." I murmured, "Me neither. It isn't like the Rakatan world... But... Isn't that... weird?"
"..."
It was weird. There was a blank space where the council's room was... I couldn't penetrate it, even if I tried. It made me feel... Unsafe for some reason. Or naked... Whatever the feeling was, it was unpleasant. Entering the room, the table that we had sat at before was now lit by bright lights, and every sigil was ensured to be visible.
We were the first here, and then we were made to sit at the spots where there was no sigil on the table, just as I had guessed previously. As for HK, he was made to stand behind me, but it didn't really bother him. As far as I could tell, he was still occupied with running diagnostics or just... pretending. I couldn't tell, and the Force was... unresponsive. What was going on? As I was searching for the reason, Vila leaned over, nudging me, pointing upwards.
Following her finger, I finally saw it. Close to the ceiling, thick, very thick tree branches were being hung up, things that were not there before... and some kind of... creatures, lizards I think, I couldn't tell, were holding onto them. Were they the source of this weirdness?
"I know those." Vila muttered, visible disgust on her face, along with some annoyance, "Ysalamiri..."
"No way..." I whispered, recognition striking at me. Of course... I should have realized it, especially because Makashi also had an alternative title: Way of the Ysalamiri. Why didn't I recognize this feeling? I had read about it...
And those pieces of wood... those were from Olbio trees. They once covered the surface of Mandalore, their trunks rich with Mandalorian iron that fed the Ysalamiri... No wonder! Now that the planet is rehabilitated, they, of course, reintroduced the trees... and with them, these creatures. The perfect weapon against a Jedi's natural powers. Heh. I can't blame them, without the Force, you wouldn't know if a Jedi is using a mind trick on you or not... So I won't complain or mention their presence. It wouldn't do any good for our meeting anyway...
As I was thinking about it, the clans also began to arrive.
They came in groups, each through their own archway, and as part of the ceremony, they were announced by someone from their clan. Of course, they came as warriors in armor; the only difference was that their helms were tucked under their arms, revealing their faces, while their banners were carried by younger initiates, likely from their chief's family. Maybe a son or a daughter... As they filed in, some nodded at us with curiosity or a kind of respect, while others ignored us entirely. A few of them even lingered just long enough for me to sense a bit of... hostility. It wasn't through the force, just a natural idea I gleaned from the way their eyes looked over us.
I tried using my powers, but... I couldn't read them. However, one connection was still present... The one I had with Vila. Somehow, that was strong enough that the Ysalamiri's Force-bubble couldn't affect it.
"Honestly," Vila leaned closer to me, "This feels like a hostile marketplace."
"Feels like someone tried to haggle, only to offend everyone in the group." I murmured back, "Like some amateur Jawas."
After everyone took their places and I looked around, I was surprised to find that every clan was present. Huh. If anything, Mandalore was indeed unified. Just thinking about it, Mandalore the Unifier also entered but without fanfare. There were no horns, no proclamations, just him, walking in, alone. Well, almost alone, because his honor guard followed him everywhere but peeled away at the entrance of the room, leaving him to walk the final steps alone. He didn't speak until he reached his seat at the obsidian table and put down his helmet on it, looking over every other chief, then glancing at us, nodding his head in acknowledgement.
"Clans of Mandalore... Thank you for coming. You are called upon by me, as your fathers and mothers were before you by Mand'alore, for occasion of great importance. We are here to speak, to judge, and to decide the future of Mandalore." He stopped, watching everybody before announcing the matter at hand, "Tonight, we will deal with one issue... once and for all: with the matter of Christophsis." I watched as some flinched, their fingers moving while resting on their own helmets... There was a definitive reaction. So... He didn't tell them what this was about, hm? That's... good. This gives us a better chance, as the opposition had no time to prepare. "You know the facts," Mand'alore continued, "For brevity's sake, let me repeat them. Our ships were harassed, convoys attacked, and our allies were bullied. At Hradun Reach, our people failed to honor our word of protection... and the lives belonging to Clan Farkun were massacred or enslaved. In our pursuit of revenge, the pirates confessed to receiving funding from snakes, and we tracked their nest, finding it on Christophsis. And now…" His gaze turned, finding me. "…the Jedi bring us the one responsible for the attacks. They are here to speak on behalf of the world where the nest of vermin was found. I validated the man the Jedi brought to us, including his presence, his bloodline, and all the evidence the Jedi obtained through his capture. It is indeed Dhar Dhrune of Christopsis, and it is he who orchestrated this bloodletting."
Hearing that he was vouching for our side sent a ripple through the chamber. They... weren't expecting that part, huh? I don't need the Force to see some surprise-looking expressions, even if just for a moment.
"We must decide if we are satisfied with the Jedi's findings," Mand'alor spread his hands while continuing, "Let us hear them and then, let us decide how we will respond. I hereby declare... the meeting is open."
And with that, everyone sat down... just so that a figure could rise back up, the chief of Clan Farkun. He was a middle-aged man with broad shoulders and a scarred face. His armor was black-trimmed with crimson markings and silver accents. Not to mention... when he spoke, his voice was like iron.
"What is taken in blood must be returned in blood." Of course, he starts with their creed, I told myself, "We lost many at Hradun Reach. We watched as children were burned alive in escape pods with their families, and how the survivors were dragged away in chains. Our creed leaves no space for compromise! Christophsis is guilty, and the guilty must pay... Not one man... One life won't satisfy the dead... We must have the whole bloodline... The whole world that sheltered him, that bred him. We need to purge them!"
The moment he finished his wild and fiery speech, the hall erupted almost immediately. Some clans, probably their allies, shouted their approval, pounding their fists against the table... But there were other voices, just as loud, calling for caution, reminding him that Mandalorians were no longer... barbarians. Or just some... killers. And honestly? It felt like they forgot about us. Even Vila nudged me, but I just waved a hand, letting it play out. Let them make a fool out of themselves, showing how wild they are. I will speak when they finally notice that they completely ignored us. It will be a point I can leverage against them.
How does the saying go? Don't interrupt your enemies when they are making a mistake?
"That's not exactly right," another chief stood up then, her armor plainer-looking, colored gold and black; her voice was hoarse but just as steady. "Clan Farkun's grief is righteous; no one denies that part. But Mandalore has already shown its strength. We captured the pirates, then we uncovered their bases, wiped them out, and now we have their master! We showed that we are not to be trifled with, no matter which end of the Galaxy you are hiding in... we will find you. Do we need to spill more blood to make ourselves look like monsters? Don't forget, the Galaxy is always ready to band together against a common foe if they designate one as. Why do you think the Hutts could survive for so long, even if being... as they are? They have restraints."
"Hah!" A younger-looking chief, his banner painted with a stylized blade, laughed, sitting at the opposite side. "Weakness is what I call a restraint. Christophsis will only learn if their city burns... Let Clan Farkun take their tithe of blood."
Honestly? The first half an hour went like this. Some demanded vengeance, others urged caution... As if we were not even there. Watching, through it all, Mand'alor sat silent, his hands folded before him, only moving his eyes, always looking at the one who was speaking. He did not rebuke any of them, and he also didn't guide the conversation. Just as I was doing, he kept out of it, and he let them rage at each other. Was he... doing... divide and conquer? Anyway, he let it all be shown fully.
"Heh," Beside me, Vila leaned her chin on her palm, eyes glittering, "This is better than theatre."
Finally, when it seemed that there were too many repeated sentences, getting into a loop, Mand'alor raised one hand and the hall obeyed, falling silent at once.
"Clan Farkun has spoken, so have others." He said slowly, "But there is another voice here you have been ignoring." His gaze turned to me again, clearly doing it to tell me it was time to step in. "Are we so angry that we forget civility? That we give no word to our guests? To the Jedi who brought us the man accused of the deed itself?"
"The Jedi has no say in Mandalore's decision." Clan Farkun answered, but I just stood up, answering without showing any weakness or fear in my voice.
"Thank you, Mand'alore the Unifier." I greeted him respectfully, then dropped it all, looking at the Chief of Clan Farkun, "No, we don't. But we are guests of Mand'alore the Unifier, and you showed him and us that you disrespect his authority by not even acknowledging our presence. Your Mand'alore did so, even including our part for this meeting in his introduction... yet you never brought it up. You have ignored it. You didn't acknowledge your Mand'alore's words... Are you that blind, Chieftain of Clan Farkun?"
"You–" He began, but I ignored him and kept speaking, raising my voice and drowning him out forcefully.
"To me, it seems that you and those standing with you are so lost in your own bloodlust that it brings a red haze over your eyes and ears. To the point that you ignore your own Mand'alore. Shameful."
"We would never!" He said again, but this time around, he was trying to sound... controlled. With no success.
"Never?" I asked, placing my hands on the table, leaning forward, looking directly into his eyes. "Then whose guests are we? Who welcomed us... to Mandalore? Who was that... we spoke when we arrived? Was it you...?"
"..."
I maintained our eye contact... until he broke away, looking towards the Unifier, but he wasn't giving him anything... Which was all I needed.
Good. That was the first step... Now, it was time for some... Jedi negotiations.