Meanwhile, several decks below in the ship's lower storage levels, Domino Squad and several other clone troopers continued their systematic security sweep, maintaining communication while methodically clearing each designated area.
"Alright, Mixer, Red Eye, proceed to Section 6," Echo instructed with military precision. "Fives and I will handle Section 2."
The two clones acknowledged the orders and moved toward a junction in the corridor where their patrol routes would diverge.
"I'll check the southern access tunnels," Red Eye announced to his partner.
"Watch yourself down there—it gets pretty dark in those maintenance shafts," his clone brother warned with good-natured concern.
"Yeah, yeah, shut it, Mixer," Red Eye replied with the casual banter typical among the clone units.
What none of them could detect was the pair of razor-sharp mechanical legs that slowly extended from within a large shipping container. The movement was silent to normal hearing, but not to Matt Murdock, whose enhanced senses immediately registered the unfamiliar and potentially threatening sound.
Steve noticed Matt's sudden alertness and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Matt? What is it?"
The lawyer simply shook his head, his enhanced hearing still trying to process the alien sounds. "Give me a moment—I'll explain later."
Steve frowned with concern but nodded, allowing Matt to focus on whatever his unique abilities were detecting. He looked back toward the ongoing political discussion and saw his Jedi friend engaged in yet another heated debate with the woman who clearly represented much more than a diplomatic contact from his past.
"The Republic's military presence represents the only reliable defense against Separatist aggression," Kenobi argued with controlled passion.
"Even the most extreme individuals can be reached through rational dialogue and compromise," Satine countered, now rising from her seat with obvious determination.
"Perhaps, if one could somehow communicate over the sound of their advancing battle droid armies," Obi-Wan replied, moving closer to her position as his expression grew more visibly frustrated.
"Such noble rhetoric from a career soldier," Satine said with cutting sarcasm.
"The dangerous delusions of an idealistic dreamer," Obi-Wan shot back.
"Are you two quite finished with this public disagreement?" Cham Syndulla interjected with obvious amusement, an expression shared by the other Jedi and Avengers present in the chamber.
It wasn't often that anyone witnessed such an emotionally charged Obi-Wan Kenobi losing his characteristic diplomatic composure.
"Honestly... we just need to lock these two in a room together until they work this out," Natasha muttered quietly to Steve and Matt, causing the former to smile slightly while the latter gave her a more focused look of concern.
Tal Merrik decided to diplomatically intervene between the two antagonists: "Duchess, Master Jedi, this has been an extraordinarily long and stressful journey for everyone. Perhaps we could all benefit from taking a brief recess to clear our minds and approach these issues with fresh perspectives."
"Duchess Satine," Matt stepped forward deliberately, his hands gripping his white cane as his enhanced senses focused on the Mandalorian leader. "If I may ask a direct question—why are you so absolutely and inflexibly opposed to this war? What drives your complete rejection of any form of organized conflict?"
Satine blinked in surprise, clearly caught off guard by the unexpected and pointed question, but she quickly cleared her throat and recovered her composure.
"When you have personally suffered through and witnessed firsthand the horrific devastation that causes such massive and unnecessary death and chaos, you develop a profound disgust for the very concept of warfare," Satine said, lifting her chin with defiant pride.
"Believe me when I tell you this," Steve interjected, his voice carrying the weight of personal experience, "you have a valid point, but your perspective is unfortunately too narrow and absolute."
"I beg your pardon?"
"War cannot be so easily categorized into simple moral categories, nor can it be so simplistically defined as purely evil," Steve explained with measured authority. "Sometimes, armed conflict becomes inevitable, and extremist ideologies cannot be defeated through peaceful negotiation alone."
Satine remained silent, allowing Steve to continue his argument.
"Consider these Death Watch terrorists who oppose your government," Steve said pointedly. "How exactly do you propose to reason with violent extremists who want to return to their ancient ways and are willing to use terrorism and civilian casualties to make their political point? Innocent people are dying because of their actions."
"I never intended for any of this violence to occur," Satine replied defensively. "I understand they've crossed moral lines, but we can still find peaceful solutions through—"
"You crossed the line first," Natasha interrupted with characteristic directness. "You systematically marginalized them, pushed them beyond their breaking point into desperation, and in their desperation, they turned to the Separatist Alliance for support and resources."
"I never intended to create any such outcome," Satine said, her voice rising defensively. "I only sought lasting peace for my people. I have witnessed far too many Mandalorians die for our ancient warrior traditions. I genuinely didn't expect them to resort to terrorism against their own citizens."
"Terrorism is a complex phenomenon, Satine," Natasha explained with the expertise of someone who had studied such movements extensively. "It's primarily driven by a desperate desire to obtain something that their perceived oppressors cannot or will not provide through legitimate channels, which drives them toward violent methods. In their case, they want society to return to what they consider a simpler, more authentic time when they didn't face persecution or exile for their deeply held cultural beliefs."
"So they deliberately choose to be perceived as warmongering, bloodthirsty fanatics?" Satine asked with sharp incredulity. "How could any rational person wish to present themselves in such a way? I honestly cannot understand why you fail to see the obvious moral problems with their approach."
"Excuse me, Duchess, but perhaps you don't fully understand these people and their motivations either," Matt suggested diplomatically.
"They are Mandalorians," Satine declared fiercely. "Am I not also a Mandalorian? Don't I understand my own people?"
"Your approach to governing the Mandalorian people was so extreme and inflexible that the only world which genuinely recognized your authority was Mandalore itself," Matt countered with legal precision. "From our recent investigation, we learned that only your home planet fully accepts your government's legitimacy, unlike the majority of worlds in your sector."
"But there must be some way to achieve progress without massive bloodshed," Satine insisted, unwavering in her conviction. "Enough unnecessary sacrifices have already been made throughout our history."
"Duchess, if I may share a relevant example," Natasha began, moving slowly toward the center of the room. "Several years ago, I was assigned to a mission in a developing region on Earth with a small team of agents. We were investigating a corrupt local government that was attempting to purchase the loyalty of tribal leaders through bribery involving precious gems." Natasha paused in the center of the chamber for emphasis.
"However, their supply caravans were frequently attacked by bandits operating from the dense forests of the northern provinces. In order to complete our mission effectively, we needed to stop this civil unrest so we could establish proper contacts to help overthrow the illegitimate government leaders. For months, we tried unsuccessfully to negotiate with the bandits, assuming they were motivated by profit. Then one day, I observed a child playing with a ruby the size of a large piece of fruit. When I brought this discovery back to our command center, we realized something shocking—the bandits were systematically discarding the stolen gems as worthless."
This revelation brought complete silence to the room.
"Then why steal them in the first place?" Anakin found himself asking on behalf of the confused group.
"Simply because they considered it good sport—entertainment," Natasha replied with grim certainty, her eyes fixed directly on the Duchess. "Some people aren't motivated by anything logical like money, political power, or even reasonable compromise. They can't be bought, intimidated, reasoned with, or successfully negotiated with through traditional diplomatic means. Some individuals simply want to watch the established order burn around them." Her gaze intensified. "These Death Watch terrorists may not be exactly like the bandits I encountered, but if you continue down your current inflexible path, these violent consequences will inevitably come back to destroy everything you've tried to build."
The silence that filled the diplomatic chamber was profound and uncomfortable, to say the least. Matt Murdock broke the tense quiet by tapping his white cane deliberately on the polished floor to capture everyone's attention.
"In life, there are many outcomes that are inherently desirable and worth pursuing. Given our current galactic situation, universal peace where everyone could live in harmony would obviously be ideal. No one would suffer from persistent problems like famine, poverty, systematic oppression, and certainly not devastating warfare." Matt sighed and directed his enhanced senses toward the people around him.
"However, there's a fundamental problem with this utopian vision—some degree of conflict and struggle must occur in order for civilization to progress and make life genuinely better for everyone. Peace is indeed a worthy goal, but it should never become the only acceptable means to achieve other important ends. If there is no meaningful progress or positive change, then everything stagnates completely, and no rational person wants that outcome."
He paused before continuing his analysis. "More importantly, if you attempt to forcibly block such natural progress through authoritarian methods, you will inevitably encounter serious opposition and create threats that you cannot control through peaceful means alone."
"Are you directly suggesting that the rise of extremist groups like Death Watch is fundamentally the Duchess's fault?" Tal Merrik challenged defensively. "I'll have you know that Death Watch has existed for centuries, long before the current government that the Republic has recognized today."
Matt shook his head with patient certainty. "I'm simply explaining the principle of cause and effect—action and consequence. Every choice has predictable results, whether we're willing to acknowledge them or not."
The entire room fell into contemplative silence as the blind lawyer presented his reasoning. "Cause and effect represents a universal principle that no one can escape or alter through wishful thinking. It always operates whenever people begin taking action to achieve their beliefs, ideologies, political goals, or personal aspirations.
Death Watch's current prominence serves as a perfect example of this principle in action, because radical social change inevitably creates challenges and generates conflict among those who oppose such changes. Yes, I fully acknowledge that conflict often breeds disaster and suffering, but despite such disasters, people continue to hope that they can work together constructively to make their situation better.
However, if people want to prevent such conflicts entirely, then what will anyone learn from confronting these difficult problems? Not to mention that there would be no opportunity to develop faith in humanoid civilization's capacity for growth and positive change—everyone would simply be fighting their own isolated problems to benefit only themselves."
"We cannot always rely on such primitive and barbaric mentalities to achieve meaningful progress," Obi-Wan interjected unexpectedly.
"This represents far more than simple barbarism, Kenobi," Steve said respectfully but firmly. "It's about recognizing
inevitable social dynamics. What Satine accomplished, while certainly noble in intention, was far too sudden and radical for people who have been culturally conditioned to a single way of thinking for literally thousands of years. There may be multiple valid perspectives on her reforms, but for centuries everyone has understood that Mandalorians represent a fundamentally warrior-based culture. A sudden transition to complete peace and pacifism implemented over such a brief period can only result in extreme conflict and resistance, not gradual compromise and acceptance."
Matt nodded in agreement. "Furthermore, a reality completely without pain, death, or genuine challenges would ultimately create chaos within any established social order. Such conditions represent an idealized dream that many people pursue, but attempting to achieve it artificially creates instability where everyone wants to change or escape the situation. It's fundamentally unnatural and psychologically unsettling for any living, breathing, thinking being.
If everyone could achieve immortality and perfect security too quickly and easily, then they would inevitably cease to fulfill their personal potential entirely. If that happened, everyone would become completely dismissive of whatever was provided for them, ultimately rendering their lives meaningless and purposeless." He turned his enhanced senses toward Satine.
"I believe you failed to provide your people with adequate methods and time to gradually change their perspectives to align with your vision. From what I've observed during our investigation, you offered them no meaningful alternatives other than complete acceptance of your way or permanent exile. Given the traditionally nomadic nature of Mandalorian culture, this ultimatum didn't present them with much of a genuine challenge or meaningful choice—it was simply authoritarian force disguised as moral leadership."
The diplomatic lounge remained completely quiet, with a palpable tension affecting everyone present. The various senators carefully absorbed and considered the recent discussion, weighing which political paths to pursue and what actions to take during their future careers. Even being confronted with these uncomfortable topics made several representatives visibly uneasy.
Satine glared at the Avengers with fierce anger, silently clasped her hands behind her back with rigid control, and departed the chamber without another word.
"Well... that was certainly... enlightening," Anakin said with a wry smile, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Where do you develop such comprehensive philosophical perspectives?"
"Through personal experience and the various situations I've encountered, one must develop very sharp analytical skills, even when it leads into uncomfortable intellectual territory," Matt replied matter-of-factly.
"Lawyer," Natasha said with an amused grin, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.
"You certainly know how to make an impression during diplomatic meetings," Obi-Wan observed with dry humor.
"This kind of analysis directly relates to our work, Master Kenobi," Matt said, adjusting his tie slightly while maintaining his professional demeanor.
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