Lord Greshh

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Mandalore the Risen

I stare at Temari for a few seconds. "You're right... I am better." I snatch up one of my pistols. "I true Mand'alor does it herself!!" I fire at Cosen.

HJ Twilight

"NO!" I jump in front of Cosen and throw my hands up, catching the blaster bolts in my palms. Most of the energy I absorb through tutaminis, but it still burns a bit and knocks me on my butt. "Ouch!!"

Mandalore the Risen

I freeze for a moment, shocked by HJ's actions. Then, with a roar of anger, I throw my blaster aside. "Damn it! Why can't you just die like you were supposed to?!"

Cosen Greshh

I am helping HJ to his feet when I hear Ava's words. "What did you say?"

Mandalore the Risen

I step around the desk. In a very slow and menacing way, I speak. "I said... why couldn't you have died today... like you were supposed to."

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Mandalore the Risen

I look at Temari for a moment. "There is nothing more to investigate. Saxon betrayed me with the help of the witch Naberrie. I have no further interest in perusing the matter. I killed Zarka Saxon, and if Zar'kun doesn't kill Naberrie, my men will."

HJ Twilight

"Just like that?" I also start to approach. "Ava, listen-"

Mandalore the Risen

"IT'S MAND'ALOR!!!" I thump the desk with my fist. "I am so sick and tired of you undermining me, HJ! At every turn, in front of my men! THIS is why they all talk about me behind my back! THIS is why they all thing I'm incapable of leading!" I hold up a finger. "But I showed them. I did what no other Mand'alor has ever done; I CONQUERED CORUSCANT!"

Cosen Greshh

"Temporarily." I say, ignoring HJ's advise. "That was the deal, wasn't it? This wasn't even your idea. It was HJ's. Send a Mando armada to Coruscant as a distraction while the Sith Hunters worked out a plan to defeat Sucal. And now they have." I shrug. "Did you forget that part? Were you so high off your own fumes by the end that you actually believed your own lies?"

Mandalore the Risen

I clench my jaw so hard that it makes my teeth hurt. "Temari Ordo. As your Mand'alor, I order you to kill Cosen Greshh."

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Cosen Greshh

I lower the sword and move to stand with HJ. “Just in time, as usual. Call off your girlfriend please.”

HJ Twilight

“Save the quips until later. Antagonizing her will only make things worse.” I lean close and whisper. “Between the two of us, where is your mother?”

Cosen Greshh

“Mom’s detained at the space port, along with the bodies of my brother and my father. Ava won’t let them leave either. She’s got nuts.”

Mandalore the Risen

I drop my blasters on the desk. “What are you two doing here? I’m in the middle of some very important business!”

HJ Twilight

“We’re here to make sure you see reason. Like Temari said, if you keep going the way you are, your whole reputation is going to be tarnished. We’re concerned about you.”

Mandalore the Risen

“I know what I’m doing, HJ! I don’t need you interfering in Mandalorian affairs!” I look at Temari. “And you... I thought you trusted in my leadership. Don’t tell me you’re starting to question my abilities too.”

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Duny Saxon

My face contorts into a look of extreme indecision. “I... I can’t! No matter what I do, I lose! I swore to take this secret to the grave!”

Hunter Ordo

“So you would rather become a vegetarian than betray the trust of the person who already betrayed you? Because they aren’t coming forward to help you. They’ve left you high and dry to take the blame while they hide like a coward.”

Duny Saxon

“She is not a coward!” I yell before I can catch myself. “I mean... I... uhh.”

Hunter Ordo

I nod. “Now we’re getting somewhere. It’s a she, huh? Senator Naberrie, maybe? Or... maybe someone more personal? A girlfriend or a relative or...” I look at Talion. “Zarka had a daughter, didn’t he? You don’t think she would’ve set up her own father, would she?”

Cosen Greshh

In the office, I shake my head at Ava. “I’m done helping you murderers. I’ve fulfilled my end of the bargain. I helped you take Coruscant. Now I want out!”

Mandalore the Risen

“No, you aren’t done! I need you to control your people and tell them I’m still in charge. Tell them that as long as they remain loyal, I promise something like what happened today will never happen again.”

Cosen Greshh

“You can’t promise that! You couldn’t even protect my brother! You have no control over your own people, let alone this planet!”

Mandalore the Risen

“I have made an example of those who were plotting against me. Now, all that remain are loyal warriors.” I narrow my eyes. “I’m not really asking you. I’m TELLING you; tell your people to stand down, abandon any plans to rebel... or I will be forced to force them into subjugation.” I hold up Cosen’s shock collar. “Temari was too merciful, I think. I won’t make that mistake again.”

Cosen Greshh

I quickly elbow the Mandalorian Commando to my right in the stomach and pull his vibrosword off his belt, then I force blast the Commando on the left into the wall. I raise my hand towards Ava and yank the collar away from her. With a twist of my fingers, I crush it into bits. “Your mistake was expecting me to submit a second time!” As the Commandos rise, I drop into a battle stance. “Even without my lightsaber, I could carve through all of you as easily as cutting a cake!”

Mandalore the Risen

I sneer, rising from my chair and grabbing for my blaster pistol.

HJ Twilight

“STOP!” I rush into the office just before Cosen clashes with the Mandos. “I can’t leave you guys alone together for five minutes without a fight to the death breaking out?”

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

HJ Twilight

“Okay. Maybe we can talk to her together. She went to go find Cosen Greshh. She’s desperate to keep the Revolution from breaking their alliance with the Mandalorians. She thinks Cosen can help, but I’m pretty sure that after what just happened, Cosen will want no part of it anymore. And well... I’m worried Mand’alor won’t be taking no for an answer here. Plus they already hate each other, so... we should probably get over to her quick.”

Mandalore the Risen

I sit in the office formerly reserved for the Supreme Chancellor, located in the upper levels of the Senate Tower. The one in Presidential Palace was pretty ruined after what happened last night. With my feet up on the desk, I watch as two Mandalorian Commandos bring in Cosen Greshh. “Ah, there you are! I was afraid you’d run off on me. Glad my men caught you in time. We have business to discuss.”

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Duny Saxon

My eyes bulge. “You... you won’t do that! You’re a Jedi!”

Hunter Ordo

I wince at the thought of his mind being shattered like Kamari’s was. On occasion, I still found Kam’s memories bubbling up to the surface, and some of his old personality had begun to blend itself with my own. “Zar’kun isn’t a Jedi. He does what he has to to get what he needs.”

Duny Saxon

“If... if you turn me into a vegetable, you’ll get nothing! You can’t afford to scramble my brains!”

HJ Twilight

Meanwhile, having finally found Temari’s contact info, I call her up. “Hey, or uhh hello ma’am. I’m HJ Twilight, in case you didn’t know. I’m uhh... kinda dating your boss, Mand’alor. Listen, this is gonna sound really weird, but... have you spoken to her recently? She seems exhausted and close to the breaking point. I’m worried being the leader of the Mandalorians is taking too much of a toll on her. Am I just being over protective or have you noticed it too?”

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Jakito Twilight

"Copy that. We'll have a little chat of our own." I put my comm away and go to the door. "Well, I guess everything is under control now. No need to stay locked up anymore." I unlock the door. Immediately, the door opens and a nurse droids flies in, complaining in binary. "Hey! Sorry to throw off your schedule. it was an emergency!" The droid ignores me and goes straight to Korre, flying around her and Val to make sure they are doing well.

Xanthippe Naberrie

The group of Mandalorian Protectors steer me down the hall, surrounding me on all sides. I can see the hall leading to Korrè's room. I make to go in that direction, but the Mandos stop me, instead forcing me to go down a different hall. "Uh, excuse me! Your going the wrong way!"

Tomar Rau

I press my vibro sword to Xan's back. "Shut your mouth. We heard what the Jedi said, but we do not take orders from him. Count yourself lucky we don't end your life right now." With Xan in Force-resistant binders, she is virtually helpless as we drag her away to the lower levels of the command center.

Hunter Ordo

Finding a room to preform our interrogation, Talion and I sit Duny Saxon down in a chair and strap his arms down tight. "Gods, I hate dirty work like this. I'll leave the painful part up to you, Talion." I give Duny a look. "Unless you want to just skip all that tell us everything you know?"

Duny Saxon

I close my eyes tight, looking extremely nervous. "I... I have nothing further to say! Zarka Saxon ordered us to kill the Greshh twins and their supporters! He betrayed Mand'alor! That's all there is to it!"

Hunter Ordo

"You know, the more you say it, the less I believe it." I kneel down in front of him. "Why don't you just talk to us? There really isn't any other option. Holding your tongue will only make it harder for everyone, you most of all. And don't think your Clan Brothers are going to come and get you either, because most of them are dead. Mand'alor put out a death mark on all those who took part in the assassinations, so not only are the Mando'ade gunning for you, but every two-bit bounty hunter is coming after you too. But don't worry; we kept this 'meeting' extra secret. We didn't tell anyone we were here with a prisoner. For all Mand'alor or the Allit'alor know, you're already dead. So... you might as well just tell us whose really behind this."

Duny Saxon

"It... was... " Grits teeth, visibly trying and failing to stay strong. "Zarka Saxon. Our Allit'alor... betrayed the Mando'ade and... and brought dishonor upon us all."

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Xanthippe Naberrie

As the Mandos drag me away, I look back at Zar’kun. “You know I’m right! If they try to silence me like they did Zarka, you’ll know I was right!!”

Tomar Rau

“Shut up, witch.” I push her forward, forcing her to walk back into the command center with us.

Becca Twilight

Inside Korre’s room, I put down my communicator and look at Jakito. “Everyone’s accounted for. Koraline and Luci are alive, though they won’t be able to help us investigate. Seems they overindulged on the Mandalorian brew last night and are now nursing severe hangovers. As for Caalin, it seems he got some ideas of his own. He slipped away late last night, stole a starfighter and disappeared off planet. All he left behind was a hastily scribbled note about tracking down Hayden.”

Jakito Twilight

I shake my head. “Stupid love sick boy. Reminds me of myself.” I chuckle. “What about Satele? You don’t think Nab...” I quickly glance at Korre. “I mean... Saxon had her killed, do you?”

Becca Twilight

“You really think Satele would let a bunch of Mandos get the better of her? No, I’m sure she’s fine. But... she’s disappeared too... again.”

Jakito Twilight

“Great! Just when we could have used her to help figure this mess out. Once again, we’re left to deal with it all alone.” I rest my chin on my fist.

Korré

I look between the two. “You know... I’m not stupid. I know what your not telling me. You think Senator Naberrie is behind all this. Well... as you could probably guess, I don’t believe it. And before you say anything, I KNOW what she has done. I know she’s deceptive, and manipulative, and all all around and person. But I also know that she knows that, and I know that she knows that you know... you know?” At Jakito’s confused expression, I clarify. “She’s obviously the one behind this... which is why I don’t believe she is the one behind it. Xan is too clever to have been so careless. She’d have layered her deception better. She’d have put herself in a position where she couldn’t be caught. And most of all, she wouldn’t have let you two watch me if she was expecting to make a quick get away.”

Jakito Twilight

I think about it for a moment. “Maybe... or maybe not. But I trust my old master is wise enough to come to the right conclusion in the end.” I pick back up my communicator. “Status, Zar’kun?”

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Xanthippe Naberrie

I rack my brain trying to think of something to say that will clear my name... but I can think of nothing. “What were you expecting? Me to reveal some huge detail that’ll change your whole perspective on things? The simple fact is I had nothing to do with Gavin’s assassination. I don’t know why the Saxons didn’t attack me. Maybe whoever did this WANTED you to believe I was guilty. You’ve been looking for a reason to finish me off for a while now, so why not?” I look at the Mando protectors. “Notice how eager they are to silence me? What if this conspiracy runs deeper than you think? You say the young warriors believed it was a massive attack rather than a one clan operation? Well... what if it was originally? What if the Clan Chiefs all wanted to discredit Mand’alor, but they chickened out at the last minute and left Saxon our to dry?”

Tomar Rau

I don’t interfere, as per Zar’kun’s request, but my grip on my weapons tightens, and I look poised to attack at any moment.

Xanthippe Naberrie

I notice that. “Saxon was afraid something like this would happened. He told me that at the party. He said he was worried for Mand’alor’s health. I think he suspected someone was going to hurt her. Perhaps they were the ones that set him up; to silence him!”

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Xanthippe Naberrie

“That is a bet you would lose, Zar’kun! Put aside your hatred for me and LISTEN for once!” I wave towards the rune on Armond’s head. “It is a PROTECTION stave! I didn’t know which Mandalorians were friends and which wanted us dead, and since we’re about to walk straight into the Mando’s nest, I wanted to me extra safe. As for Zarka... wouldn’t you have sensed it? You sniffed out Armond’s ward so easily, so why not Chief Saxon? Find him and try to dispel the hidden mark. I promise you he doesn’t have one.” I stand up. “Look back on the facts, Zar’kun. I mean REALLY look back. Your brain has done so many mental gymnastics that rather than connecting the pieces to form a theory, you’ve recut the puzzle to fit your own preconception of me!”

Tomar Rau

The leader of the Elite Protectors speaks up. “You were seen at the after battle celebration the other night, speaking with Allit’alor Saxon for a great length of time. It can be deduced that that was when your conspiracy was conceived.”

Xanthippe Naberrie

I glare at the Mando with the shield. “I was speaking to Saxon, yes. But it had nothing to do with this!”

Tomar Rau

“Says the witch. Can we just finish her off already?” My squad ready to advance on my order.